Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Post ZH Legion: Volume 5 - What Makes Us Special (August 26, 2023)

I should add that Kid Q and Thom vs. The Eye only worked so well because the Eye is a bit weaker now, because it takes so much direction from the Empress, and because they took it by surprise (plus Thunder gave them an opening). If the Eye ever gets back to full strength it won't be so easy!

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VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on Legion World...

Babbage, I-45ENG/Nth Series of Robotica; combat mechanoid
Blizzard, Brek Bannin of Tharr; cold projection
Gates, Ti'julk Mr'asz of Vyrga; opens teleportation disks
Microbe, Drura Sehpt of Somahtur; generate and control harmful and beneficial microorganisms
Nightwind, Berta Skye Harris of Earth; wind and air manipulation
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy
White Witch, Mysa of Zarrox; sorcery
XS, Jenni Ognats of Aarok; super-speed, granddaughter of the Flash (Barry Allen)


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"Is it... is it really you?" Marla Latham tried in vain to keep the emotion from welling up in his voice. After spending who knows how long imprisoned with hundreds of other sentients, and not knowing what was happening outside... now, to suddenly be freed by a mix of old and new Legionnaires, all of whom he had feared were dead...

It was overwhelming, to say the least.

"It IS us, Marla," Nightwind smiled as she gently supported him. "We came back. Thanks for keeping the hostages' spirits up while we were away."

A shaken Keema Delf cowered on the floor, long red hair in disarray. "Why did you leave us behind?" the reporter moaned.

"We apologize," Babbage started, using its voice modulator to convey sorrow and sympathy. "Please believe us, we had no choice. We were faced with overwhelming numbers. We needed to retrieve reinforcements."

"What reinforcements?" Science Police Officer Sybelle Deacon snarled through her split lip. "There are less than half a dozen of you! I thought the Legion was about big numbers?" As she spoke, cracks began to form on Blizzard's ice wall. The hostages gasped and started scrambling to get away. With a thunderous smash, the ice wall caved outwards, sending fragments of ice raining down on the terrified hostages.

"Are we reinforcements enough?" XS raced through the crowd, pulling terrified civilians out of the way. As she placed a startled Sybelle Deacon down on the floor, she paused for a second. "And the Legion's about strength in numbers, yes, but also about teamwork and diversity. Remember that." She rushed away before the startled Officer could respond.

"Well said, Jenni!" Gates squeaked as he opened a teleportation disk in front of a dozen huddled hostages. The disk sent the falling ice smashing down onto the ground on the other side of the wall.

"Grife, am I glad Babbage freed you!" Blizzard smiled as he reinforced his wall. It buckled again just as he did; the large saurian Bronto and the immense brute Nadir crashed into it.

"Allow me." The White Witch stepped forward, hands glowing. She blasted the two brutes backwards, then turned her attention to the wall of ice protecting the hostages. "A spell of regeneration," she uttered. With a wave of her hand, the ice wall glowed for a moment. It shuddered again as someone started pounding at it from the other side; but as fragments of ice fell, they magically returned to the wall, repairing it.

"Oh, very nice," Blizzard said, admiring her handiwork. "At least this will give us some breathing room."

"Let's take the offensive," Nightwind noted. "Brek, when I give the signal, get ready to make holes in the ice. But only near the top, where attacks won't hit hostages by accident. Babbage, Drura, the three of us should get ready to take out attackers through the holes. XS, Gates, rescue and crowd control, please. Mysa, kindly check the hostages for injuries. And once you're done, I think you should move to support the team fighting the big bad."

The Legionnaires nodded and moved to their positions, even as the freed hostages cheered them on. XS and Gates began ushering the civilians back, away from the ice well. As they walked to the spot XS had marked, reporter Hannah Wells winked at Sybelle Deacon. "Looks like they have all the reinforcements they need right now."

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, Asteroid JM-L15 near Legion World...

Apparition, Tinya Wazzo of Bgztl; intangibility and disruption of mechanical devices
Karate Kid, Val Armorr of Omega Colony; skilled martial artist
Lume, of Silvan; energy being made of light
Spider-Girl, Sussa Paka of Luna; prehensile hair

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"Are you well, Apparition?" Lume asked as they rushed towards the control room. Lume remained in its energy form, deftly weaving around attackers as it fired laser blast after laser blast. Apparition herself skillfully used her powers to phase through attacks, punching would-be attackers before they could tell whether she was solid or not. Spider-Girl and Karate Kid brought up the rear, mopping up any remaining opposition.

"Yes Lume, thank you for asking. I just hope Triad's okay." Apparition shivered despite herself. She and Triad had joined together, so many years ago; and she had never heard Luornu seem so distraught. "Something else else must have happened, I know it."

"We will deal with it together," Karate Kid said quietly and confidently. As if to stress his point, he rammed through a cluster of soldiers.

"We're here!" Spider-Girl announced as she rounded the corner. "Okay, gang, let's do this!"

"Gladly." Apparition dove headfirst into the machinery, her phased form causing sparks to fly everywhere as she disrupted the electrical currents. "It feels good, cutting loose like this."

"Indeed. The martial arts I have learned are grounded in ancient philosophies and traditions, but it can be therapeutic to just punch things." Karate Kid leaped at the machinery on the far right, smashing it to bits.

"It also feels good to get closer to our objective," Lume agreed as it zapped the remaining computers by focusing its energy into pinpoint laser beams.

"Great, you're all efficiently destructive," Spider-Girl quipped as she peeked outside into the corridor. "Now come on. We still have to fight our way back out of here and rendezvous with Triad." Without waiting for a reply, she ran out. Lume and Karate Kid quickly followed suit. Apparition spared a moment to walk through the walls; wires and pipes exploded as she did. She wanted to make sure that these horrible installations were completely destroyed and that their mission would be a success. If one of her friends had been hurt today, she wanted all the pain to be very much worth it.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on Legion World...

Impulse, Kent Shakespeare of Earth; enhanced speed, strength, durability and recuperative abilities, medical doctor
Invisible Kid, Lyle Norg of Earth; invisibility
Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; advanced telekinesis and animation of objects
M'Onel, Lar Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Violet, Salu Digby of Imsk; size manipulation of own body
Wildfire, Drake Burroughs (energy gestalt of two beings). Anti-energy being

**************************************************************

Invisible Kid worked feverishly as he pieced together all the data he had gathered so far. His heart pounded as he reviewed his conclusions. "Looks like the tubes can be roughly grouped into two sets". Some of these have been prepped for... for something. Some of the tubes have had some procedure done on them. Thankfully, these are few..." Lyle's heart sank as he realized that Condo was in the latter group. What has he done to you? "I think we need to start freeing the ones who have been prepped," he added. "Before anything can happen to them."

"Do we know enough?" Impulse looked up from his notes. "There are too many contraptions attached to these tubes."

"Look at our teammates," Lyle pointed at M'Onel, Kinetix and Wildfire, who were just barely keeping the Monitor in check. "Kinetix is getting exhausted and Wildfire's energy is depleting fast! He might not be able to hold himself together. And Violet is almost done exploring the whole contraption. We have to start somewhere!" Lyle didn't say what was at the back of his mind - that they would need to do a little intelligent guesswork. Trial and error. And he hated himself for being grateful that he would not have to start with Condo. But it was a calculated risk. "Babbage's success freeing XS and the others gives us a reasonable expectation of success. The first set of tubes are in almost the same state as the ones they were in."

Kent clenched his fist as Lyle spoke. The oath he took upon becoming a doctor held him to the highest standards of healing. "Lyle... I..." He looked at his teammates. Kinetix's skirt was torn, her normally perfectly coiffed hair in disarray. Wildfire was struggling with regulating his blasts; Kent knew that he needed to conserve his energy after being imprisoned on Qward for an extended period. And even the invulnerable M'Onel was beginning to show bruises; he took the brunt of the Monitor's attacks to spare his teammates, but the power behind them was too much.

And several times during the battle, M'Onel or Kinetix had needed to redirect attacks to keep them from hitting the tubes.

"Let's bring Babbage on board," Kent suggested. "Reduce our chance for error even more."

"Fair enough," Lyle said. "I'll start and you two join me as soon as you can." He trotted over to the tube containing a sleeping Atmos. He was supposed to have some level of invulnerability. Better chance of making it. He carefully tucked his hair back into the headband he wore and began to work. Condo had always preferred he not wear the headband...

He pushed thoughts of better moments with Condo out of his mind for now, and began to work.

**********************************************************************

Kinetix dropped to her knees as M'Onel slammed into the Monitor once more, while the villain was being held in place by an inch of titanium. Grife. No matter how many times she reformed the bonds around him, the Monitor always managed to break free. She was exhausted; she could count the number of times she had been in battle for this long before. She needed a short break... she reinforced the metal holding around the Monitor's limbs.

"This will not hold me long." The Monitor blasted M'Onel back with energy from his eyes, slamming him into a wall. The Daxamite was stunned momentarily. Then he turned his attention towards Kinetix. "You have been more than a minor irritant, girl. Your unique powers are interesting, but can be of use to me even without a limb." Zoe flew up off the floor in a panic as energy began pouring out of the Monitor's eyes.

"Geez, hasn't anyone ever told you it's not polite to stare?!" Wildfire fired a beam of his energy in the path of the Monitor's beams, blocking them from hitting Zoe. She quickly reacted by molding portions of the wall into a visor around the Monitor's eyes, temporarily blocking his beams.

"Thanks, Drake. Never got the chance to tell you this before, but... impressive save," she smiled.

"Thanks too, little lady. Got to hand it to you, you've kept him off-balance pretty well despite not being invulnerable."

"But we can't keep this up," Zoe replied as she thickened the layers of metal binding the Monitor, even as he struggled to burn through the band around his eyes. "We're just barely managing to keep him in check."

"I know." Wildfire carefully rationed his energy to blast at the Monitor's hands, causing the villain to yell in pain. "We need a Hail Mary."

"Will a Hail Mysa do?" Zoe and Drake jumped as Gates teleported in with the White Witch and Babbage. "This is one time I'm actually glad to be a taxi service! Grife, you two look horrible!"

"Tactful as always, Gates," Zoe muttered as she helped M'Onel up with her telekinesis. Lar Gand rubbed his shoulder, wincing in pain. "Good timing, though," he quipped. "Come on, let's not waste this." He inhaled, then unleashed his freezing breath at the Monitor together, followed quickly by his heat vision. He alternated between the two powers as the Monitor howled in pain. "Keep him off-balance!"

"I believe I can better assist Invisible Kid and Impulse," Babbage said as it flew to the back of the lab.

"And I can do my best here." The White Witch raised her hands, and a blue aura surrounded the Monitor. The aura extended from him to Mysa, who gasped. "Oh! So much power... This is a draining spell, one which allows me to transfer vitality between beings." She waved her hands around, causing the blue glow to surround M'Onel, Wildfire and Kinetix. "The Monitor will tire, while you three will be temporarily invigorated. My pupil Dragonmage had much more aptitude for this spell than I, but I hope this will help."

"Believe me, it does." Wildfire stood up and began blasting at the Monitor, joining his power with M'Onel's. "I feel almost as strong as I was before that sprocking Qwardian kidnapped me!"

"It is but a temporary measure," Mysa said sadly. "I pray it lasts long enough to win this battle."

"I think it will." Kinetix added her telekinesis to the mix, battering the Monitor with blunt force. "I'm feeling good about this."

"So do I!" The four Legionnaires looked in amazement as a blast of nuclear energy joined their attack. "Atmos!" M'Onel gasped.

"Your friends freed me! And now I'm going to return the favor!" Atmos grinned as he joined the attack. Behind him, Legion Cadet Hotshot (formerly Fire Lad) exhaled a stream of fire. Fellow Cadet Lamprey added concentrated steams of water to the bombardment; she kept her distance from Hotshot, careful not to quench his attack. Several other prisoners had been freed, though not all were in good condition; Dragonwing struggled to stand while Retro blinked in confusion.

"None of them are physically injured," Gates noted as he gathered the freed prisoners who could not fight. "But their imprisonment has left them disoriented and sedated. I'll take these to join the other hostages we freed."

"No... want to help..." Splitter muttered as he tried to reattach his right arm. "Please, let me..."

"I sympathize, but this is no time to be hard-headed!" Gates snapped. "Part of being a Legionnaire is knowing when to bow out, Cadet." Before Splitter could protest, Gates' teleportation disk swallowed him and a few others up.

"Now the rest of us can concentrate on hitting this guy," Rainbow smiled as her aura glowed a vivid red. She added her power to the attack. Beside her, Gravity's hands glowed a pale gray as he increased the pull of gravity on the Monitor.

"Yahoo! Keep hitting him, boys and girls!" Wildfire's jubilant cry was infectious as he pressed the attack. "We're putting him down!" Nearly two dozen different meta-powered individuals were now blasting at the Monitor; rays and beams in a wide spectrum of colors combined into a potent stream that battered their target.

Suddenly, the a brilliant glow surrounded the Monitor, drowning out the blue aura from Mysa's spell. "Um, which one of you is doing that?" Kinetix asked. Before anyone could answer, what could only be described as a maelstrom as energy erupted from his body. Screams and yells were drowned out as a rain of debris and white hot heat blasted the attacking heroes; despite hastily conjured shields from Kinetix and the White Witch, people were thrown down and around.

"Oh my grife," Vapor breathed as she reformed her body. She had changed into her gaseous form to escape the blast; she shook as she coalesced into physical form beside a shocked Impulse. "I have never experienced anything so hot!"

"I see that I have underestimated your tenacity and resourcefulness." The Monitor strode forward, eyes glowing. He ignored the fallen heroes around him as he walked to the back of the laboratory. Vapor quickly turned into a cloud of hydrogen sulfide; the smell of rotten eggs permeated the lab as she launched herself at the Monitor. He exhaled; the force of his attack dissipated her molecules momentarily. "But you have also underestimated my power. Still, it would be unwise of me to allow you to loose these other resources at me. I shall start with the most dangerous." He pointed a glowing hand at Condo Arlik's tube. "I regret to do this, but I can always find another Phlonian."

Lyle screamed as the Monitor fired.

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IB's notes:

1) Wildfire is an gestalt of two beings whose physical forms were destroyed by Mordru. One of them, Atom'x, was "killed" trying to impress Kinetix (not at her urging!) by saving Violet alone. The other being was Blast-Off, who had a thing for Kid Quantum II.

2) The prisoners in the tubes include Legion Cadets, Uncanny Amazers and other individuals who have meta powers or have the potential to develop them. Here is a list of the ones mentioned by name in this post:

a) Atmos, Marak Russen of Xanthu (Uncanny Amazer); nuclear energy blasts, flight, enhanced strength and durability

b) Hotshot, Staq Mavlen of Shwar (Legion Cadet); breathes fire

c) Lamprey, Tayla Skott of Earth (Legion Cadet); underwater survival, hydrokinesis

d) Dragonwing, Marya Pai of Earth (Legion Cadet); breathes fire and secretes acid venom

e) Retro, Deen Toro of Retcon** (Legion Cadet); touch-triggered ability to rewind time, but leaving those affected with a memory of "future" events

**Retro's home world was not revealed in the comic books. I just decided to make him from Retcon, a world never before seen in Legion mythos

f) Splitter, Floyd Belkin of Lallor (Legion Cadet); ability to detach his limbs from his torso

g) Rainbow, Dori Aandraison of Xolnar (Legion Cadet); rainbow-based light powers

h) Gravity, Tel Vole of Earth (Legion Cadet); gravity manipulation

i) Vapor, Tal Nahii of Lallor (Hero of Lallor); transforms her body into gases

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, Asteroid RSTP-3680 near Legion World...

Chameleon, Reep Daggle of Durla; shapeshifting
Timber Wolf, Brin Londo of Zuun; enhanced speed, strength, durability, senses and regenerative powers
Umbra, Tasmia Mallor of Talok VIII; controls a mystical darkfield

Insect Queen, Lonna Leing of Xanthu. (Uncanny Amazer and Legion ally). Ability to morph her abdomen into various insect forms, gaining the powers of the forms she takes.

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"Hurry!" Umbra flipped herself over a charging Titania. As she landed on the floor, she blasted the super-strong female with her darkfield. The close-range attack stunned Titania's nervous system, making her fall to the floor. Ordinarily, Tasmia would have relished the chance to test her combat skills against such an opponent. But time was of the essence. "Ours is the last installation to destroy so we can deactivate the shield!"

"I hear you." Insect Queen, in the form of a Xolnaran Queen Wasp, fired volleys of stingers, piercing attackers even through body armor. "It's worth our lives to bring this shield down!"

"I agree, we're taking too long." Chameleon shifted into a Mimbian Brontopoid. Swinging his long, clawed limbs around, he took down several more soldiers. "Most of these are non-powered. Let Insect Queen and I hold them off. Umbra and Timber Wolf, you should go forward and destroy the controls. Your powers are best suited for that."

"Sounds like a plan," Brin's tone was approving as he slashed the forearm of an attacking Tyrazzian. The red-skinned warrior dropped his gun involuntarily. Brin finished him off with a punch to the face. "Come on, Umbra. Race you!"

"Gladly." Umbra's darkfield cleared a path for the two of them. Chameleon winked at her as she left; she gave a rare smile in return. Chameleon turned to Insect Queen. "Okay, Lonna, let's shapeshift like we've never shapeshifted before!"

"Hah! Compared to the Robotican invasion of Xanthu*, this is a walk in Xanthopolis Park!" She shifted into the form of a large centipede. As a horde of attackers approached, she used her body to throw them into the wall.

"Hmm, looks like I'll have to work hard to catch up." Over a dozen limbs emerged from Chameleon's torso. He began punching them in all directions, felling soldiers everywhere. "You sprocks won't get past us!"

On the other end of the corridor, Umbra and Timber Wolf kept running. "It's a good thing Cham and Triad recorded Shikari's instructions," Brin noted. "Kari's well out of range now."

"As well she should be," Tasmia replied. "Chuck's life is more important, and Shikari has done her part here."

"Yeah, I... Sprock." Brin crouched low as they emerged in front of the control room. "Something else else's not... right..." Brin fell to the ground, a mass of twitching limbs.

"What's wrong?!" Umbra asked with urgency. She turned him over. "Brin?" She barely had time to react as a her field of vision filled with green. Tasmia felt herself pushed violently on her behind as Micro grew to full size, punching her with 140 pounds of force. "Hah! The Master is going to be so pleased with me, taking two Legionnaires down by myself!"

Umbra wiped the blood streaming down her nose. "You're pathetic," she sneered. Blasting Micro with her darkfield wouldn't do; if he shrank down, she would hit Brin. Instead, she coated the area in darkness. "I've read your file, Micro. You survive on the adoration of others. True strength comes from confidence in yourself, despite what others think."

"Shut up!" Umbra quickly flew towards where Micro's voice came from. She couldn't see him; he had likely shrunk as a precaution. But he wouldn't be able to see or hear her. She just had to wait...

"You are just afraid to hear the truth," Tasmia replied icily. "You had to murder Ion** just to soothe your feelings of inadequacy!"

"SHUT UP!" Tasmia quickly stepped backwards as she felt Micro's movement from below her chin. Opening her fist, she intercepted Micro's hand as it punched upwards. She quickly inserted her fingers between his and squeezed. Micro screamed in pain as several of his fingers broke.

Before he could recover, Umbra finished him off with a blow to the neck. He slumped down, unconscious.

With a wave of her hand, Umbra made her darkfield vanish. She ran to Brin's side. "Are you okay?"

"Urgh... Remind me to thank that little punk later," Timber Wolf said as he stood up shakily. "Thankfully, I heal fast. Grife, remind me never to make Violet angry."

"Make that, never make a Legionnaire angry." Tasmia turned to the control room. "Come on, let's finish this mission."

"Allow me," Brin said as he ran inside. "I have a lot of pent-up frustration to release."

Seconds later, debris was strewn around the control room. Minutes later, Umbra and Timber Wolf had helped Insect Queen and Chameleon mop up the remaining staff; and within fifteen minutes the four were on their way to rendezvous with the other away teams in the asteroid field.

And the shield around Legion World faded away once more, this time for good.

**************************************************************

IB's notes:

1) Like with Lazon before, this is Titania's first Postboot appearance.

2) The Robotican invasion of Xanthu was depicted in Legion Worlds 4. Insect Queen nearly died from exhaustion then.

3) Chameleon and Umbra developed a pretty good friendship during Legion Lost.

4) Violet, Micro and Ion were competing to see who would join the Legion as Imsk's representative. Micro murdered Ion to better his chances. (LSH v4 66)

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, above Legion World...

Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation

Shvaughn Erin of Earth (Honorary Legionnaire). Science police captain and Legion Liaison Officer.

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Shvaughn Erin smiled as she watched from her vantage point just above Legion World. She quickly turned on her communication channel. "They did it, everyone. They did it! It's time!"

She barely finished before cheers of joy erupted across all channels, including her own flight ring. "Over three dozen ships still stand between us and Legion World," she continued. "I'm sure everyone wants a piece of them."

Kid Quantum's face and voice appeared, addressing the assembled army. "Then you all had better hurry, because we Legionnaires are already wading in. UP forces, attack!"

Shvaughn's heart lifted as she watched Science Police units, the UP Army and Navy, Khundian battleships and Robotican combat mechanoids all surge forward into the massive army the enemy had gathered. In front of them all, leading the charge, were the assembled Legionnaires under Kid Quantum's watch.

This was a sight she would remember, and treasure, forever.

IB this is outstanding!

So many great moments, and you keep the throttle on and keep it coming. I cant pick a favourite part as so far all of your story is great, from Shikari and Lu's organisation of the teams, Chucks heroism - like Omni I almost had a heart attack reading that post where he appeared to sacrifice himself,

star Boy and Kid Quantum taking on the Empress and the Eye was superb - I think even if it were full powered they could give it a hard time - and the fight between Thunder and Super Girl against Validus was well written too.

The hostages reaction to the Legionnaires was well done, no Stockholm syndrome thankfully you write Brek really well, he's one of my least favourite of the team normally but you have me rooting for the guy, well done!

Lyles fears and detminationare so nicely handled, you are a very sensitive writer that can do these sort of intense scenes with a light touch so they seem to carry more weight - personally I know I couldn't convey so much so well while keeping up the overall tension so accept this pat on the back for a job really well done.

Monel and Kinetix and Wildfire taking ona Monitor is brave! It's great to se their determination and courage in action. The freed meta captives joining in too was well done, you really do write a large cast well.

Umbra and Timber Wolf make a good couple, they work well together, and you captured that synergy well.

So the force field is down! I guess that means things will get intense now! Wow!

Your story is amazing IB and I'm really looking forward to more, more, more!

Thank you Harbi for your kind comments! I believe you are very adept at handling a huge cast, so it means a lot for you to compliment me on the same.

I'm glad you liked all the bits above, it can be a challenge to give so many characters each their moment in the spotlight so I am happy it's working for you so far.

Glad Lyle's worry and thoughts are coming off as realistic, I'm basing him and Condo on real-life Blaze and me

Things will be getting quite intense, we are very close to the end! The big battle of Legion World is beginning!

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on Legion World...

Babbage, I-45ENG/Nth Series of Robotica; combat mechanoid
Impulse, Kent Shakespeare of Earth; enhanced speed, strength, durability and recuperative abilities, medical doctor
Invisible Kid, Lyle Norg of Earth; invisibility
Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; advanced telekinesis and animation of objects
M'Onel, Lar Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Violet, Salu Digby of Imsk; size manipulation of own body
White Witch, Mysa of Zarrox; sorcery
Wildfire, Drake Burroughs (energy gestalt of two beings). Anti-energy being

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Without thinking, Invisible Kid leaped in front of Condo's tube as the Monitor fired.

"What are you doing?!" Impulse yelled as he placed himself in front of Lyle. He grunted as the Monitor's blast hit him.

"Kent!" Though dazed, Kinetix's telekinesis had shielded her from the brunt of the Monitor's earlier attack. She focused on the floor, raising a section of it to block the flow of the Monitor's beams.

Lyle turned to help Kent up. "Grife, Kent, I'm sorry. I didn't think..."

"You clearly didn't," Kent snapped as he nursed his arm. Then he breathed in deeply. "I'm sorry, Lyle. This is pretty painful, but I should be fine. Please, just do me a favor and focus on freeing the rest so we can concentrate on the bad guy."

"I agree," Zoe said through gritted teeth as she tried to reinforce her shield. "And I think you'll be a lot more effective, Lyle, once you get Condo out of there," she added pointedly.

Lyle could feel himself blush. Zoe had always been particularly observant; and he acknowledged that he had let his worry for Condo show a bit too much. He turned back to the tubes. "Babbage, are you done with your diagnostics?"

Babbage's whirring and clicking paused. "I am, Invisible Kid. I believe I know what to do. We will need Violet's assistance."

"I can hear you," Violet's voice came over the flight ring network. "Just tell me what to do."

Babbage quickly gave instructions as Lyle ran to the controls. He had already applied the same settings to these tubes as he had to the others; thankfully, only a handful of hostages remained in this set. Condo Arlik, Dirk Morgna, Dragonmage and Amp Girl. It wasn't difficult to guess what had happened to them. The Monitor had revealed as much when he attacked; they had been turned into weapons. Condo must have been given powers; Amp Girl already had some so hers must have been expanded. Dirk Morgna and Dragonmage likely had had their powers restored. That must be it. Lyle forced himself not to think about the other universe's Lyle and Condo. There would be time for that later.

"Please listen to my instructions, Invisible Kid," Babbage intoned. It quickly connected itself to the panel under the tubes. The whirring and clicking intensified as it did. "The three of us will need to work quickly and in concert in order to succeed."

"Ready," Lyle and Violet said in unison. No more room for mistakes, Lyle told himself silently.

"Please, hurry." Zoe leaned forward, as if physically pushing. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up..."

"You won't have to." Wildfire stood up. Cracks crisscrossed his visor; his suit was torn in pieces. "I don't know if I can stop this guy, but at least I can give you all a breather. At least I'll go out in a blaze of glory."

"Wait. Wait," Kent said. He was burned all over and it hurt to touch anything; even with his slightly advanced healing it would take a while. "Wildfire, what are you saying?"

"I thought I could hold back my energies, but my suit's damaged anyway," Wildfire said as he adjusted his gloves. "And this dweek is too tough. Brainy was surprised at how I was able to power Qward for an extended period of time. Now this dweek's going to feel it."

"Drake, no!" Zoe screamed as she desperately extended her field towards him. "I can fix your suit! You don't have to..." She faltered as she felt her shield buckle. Sprock it, he's too far,, she thought. If she helped Drake, she'd have to stop shielding the tubes.

"I do," Drake said as he glanced around. "M'Onel, White Witch, Atmos, all of them are down right now. I have to." He finished checking everything, then planted his feet firmly on the floor to anchor himself. "Tell Kari I... She's the one I'll miss most." Before Zoe or Kent could reply, he opened his visor one last time.

The anti-energy that was Drake Burroughs poured forth in one wide blast. The last time Wildfire remembered using this much power was when he faced Element Lad; no, the Progenitor.** A being of almost unimaginable power. He was doing the same now. He could feel his atoms bursting outwards, hitting his target, and then dissipating. He knew he could hurt the Monitor; he saw that he was doing so as he watched his opponent yell in pain. He doubted he could stop him, but he knew he could buy his friends time to recover.

He cleared his thoughts as he felt the cohesion that held his form loosen. After his ordeal on Qward, he had learned to make his individual atoms return to him whenever he used his powers. This was how he prolonged his existence. But he could only do that when modulating his blasts. Now, he was cutting loose, and the only way to sustain the intensity of his attack was to let go completely.

As he continued, he could feel his ability to think diminish. He could barely remember what had happened a few hours before. He did recall that Brainiac 5 and Gear had promised to study the technological blueprints they had picked up from the other Legions once things had settled down. With a slight pang of regret, he realized that would never happen.

But it was all good. He was going out as a hero.

"Draaaake!" Zoe screamed as she dropped her shield and focused her telekinesis on his suit. Wildfire had caused the Monitor to break off his attack; now she could help him. She wrapped her field around it, hoping she could stem the flow of his power.

But it was too late. There wasn't enough left. All she held now was an empty suit. Tears streamed down her eyes as she looked at the Monitor, who had been brought to his knees by Wildfire. The villain began to stand, though it was obvious from his appearance that Wildfire had done a lot of damage.

"You MONSTER!" Zoe screamed as she battered him with all her might. "You KILLED him!" The Monitor buckled under the strength of her assault. She was actually pushing him backwards!

"He destroyed himself," the Monitor intoned. Kinetix forced him to the knees. "You callous piece of nass!"

"You careless child." The Monitor made a fist and released his energy at the floor. Despite being airborne, the force of the shockwave toppled Kinetix over. She quickly tried to right herself, scrambling to make sure she was facing the Monitor. He loomed over her as she did, eyes glowing. "Do your worst," she hissed.

"He won't, but I will." Zoe gasped in surprise as a glowing pink dragon wrapped around the Monitor. She turned to see Dragonmage, face grim in concentration.

"You have returned my abilities, but although I am grateful for that, I see you must be stopped," Dragonmage said. The dragon form bound the Monitor tighter and tighter as it siphoned his energies. "I used this against Mordru before.** This spell caused me a lot of grief, but I gladly use it against you today."

Beside him, Dirk Morgna stood, looking at his hands. They were burning like torches. "I... I can turn the flames on and off..." He took in a deep breath. "And I can turn my heat signature vision on and off too." He turned to face the Monitor. "This might be a gift, but I don't like how you gave it to me!" He pointed at the Monitor, shooting flames at the villain. "I hate being locked up!"***

"Welcome aboard, boys," Kinetix laughed as she joined the attack. "We make a good team."

"I see my experiments were effective," the Monitor breathed. "This Dragonmage's spell is draining me faster than the White Witch's did. Though I have expended much energy..."

"Master!" Nara Minsork's telepathic voice sounded in his dead. She was nearly incoherent with panic. "The shields protecting us are down! The Legionnaires are leading a veritable army at us!"

The Monitor reeled as images flooded his mind. Dozens of Legionnaires flew in front of just as many ships. They were engaging his own forces head-on, but despite his superior technology, he could see they were outnumbered. Also, the Legionnaires had been resourceful enough to co-opt some of his technology for their own use. He had surmised as much; though he had expected their attack and had purposely let them onto Legion World as a lure, he had been surprised at how deeply they had penetrated before he had detected their presence. Indeed, they had done more damage to his plans than he had expected.

Still, he had one of the Legionnaires he needed. And now the other was here in this room. He could abandon Legion World and move to the next stage of his plan; if that succeeded, he would be able to retake Legion World easily.

He quickly focused his remaining power on the roof of the laboratory. Kinetix, Dragonmage and Dirk Morgna gasped in surprise as debris rained on them. Zoe quickly shielded them, but the Monitor took advantage of their surprise to punch Dragonmage in the head and toss Dirk Morgna into a desk. Then, he closed his fists around Kinetix's throat and watched her eyes bulge as he pulled her violently behind him. In seconds, she had lapsed into unconsciousness.

Before the other Legionnaires remaining could react, he ran out of the laboratory, a limp Kinetix over his shoulder. "Density," he commanded. "Prepare Live Wire. I will be there in five minutes."

The Monitor smiled as he made his way. He could stomach his humiliating defeat today; he would return and claim them all once he had the power of the Progenitor.

*************************************************************

IB's notes:

1) Legion Lost 12; Wildfire tried to take out Element Lad/Progenitor but was unable to.

2) Legionnaires 50; Dragonmage successfully siphoned some of Mordru's power. Mordru then attacked him, causing him to lose his magical abilities for a time. Dragonmage regained them in Legionnaires 71-73 after freeing some imprisoned and dangerous Elementals, but lost them again after stopping the same Elementals.

3) Dirk Morgna gained the power to project light and heat in Legionnaires 29, but he could not control the intensity of his powers. He had to wear a transuit lined with inertron just to interact safely with other people. He lost his powers fighting Dr. Regulus in LSH 84. He regained them in a way after being possessed by the Fire Elemental in Legionnaires 71 - the same Fire Elemental that Dragonmage had freed. The Fire Elemental was destroyed in Legionnaires 73, although Dirk was left with the ability to see only in heat signatures. In Volume 1, I made it that he learned to slowly transition between his heat signature vision and normal vision.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on Legion World...

Invisible Kid, Lyle Norg of Earth; invisibility

Condo Arlik of Phlon (boyfriend of Invisible Kid)

**************************************************************

Lyle Norg ignored the commotion around him as he held Condo Arlik in his arms for the first time since he and his team had vanished into the Multiverse. Tears formed in his eyes as he remembered how Condo had looked that very first time they had spent the night together; he had been sleeping soundly, just like this. He cradled Condo's head gently as he stroked his cheek. How come Condo was unconscious? The other prisoners, include Dragonmage and Dirk Morgna, had woken up almost immediately. So had Amp Girl, though she had been too weak to help in the battle; but at least she had been conscious and in full control of her faculties. Sprock it! Had Condo been in a different stage of experimentation when he had been afraid?

He shook Condo gently. "Please. Please wake up, Condo. Please." He turned to Babbage. "Why won't he wake up?"

Babbage whirred and clicked as it scanned the files. "I... I am not certain, Invisible Kid. Perhaps if we examine him..."

"Please. I just want him to wake up. Please." Lyle stood up, cradling Condo in his arms. "He needs to wake up."

"Maybe I can help." Lyle looked left to see one of the Uncanny Amazers approach. He had joined the Amazers after Star Boy had joined the Legion; Thom could never quite remember his name. "Let me hold his head."

Lyle and Babbage watched as the Amazer gently placed his palm on Condo's scalp. He began to move his fingers around. Condo suddenly moaned in his sleep, but his eyes did not open.

"What are you doing? Are you hurting him?" Lyle asked fearfully.

"No. I'm just using my powers of phrenology and psychometry," he explained soothingly. "I need to touch people's heads for it to work."

"I have accessed your file," Babbage noted. "Kal Bodo of Xanthu. Code name: none. When you touch people's heads, you are able to assess their emotional and intellectual aptitudes and to perceive their pasts within the previous 48-hour period."**

"The "real name" thing was a statement," Kal shrugged. "Everyone else had code names and a "real" costume. I wanted to stand out."

"That explains the look," Lyle snarked as he took in Kal's bare torso and bicycle shorts. Kal's head was also completely bald, except there appeared to be lines on it, like a checkerboard. "Is that why you drew lines on your head?"

"They're tattoos," Kal explained with the air of someone who was tired of saying the same thing to everyone he met. "I scan people by placing my hands on their heads like so. The tattoos were my way of practicing on myself. Now, will you be quiet? I liked you better when you were blubbering about your boyfriend."

"He's...!" Lyle snapped his mouth shut. He chided himself for using insults and sarcasm to cover up his anxiety. "I'm sorry, Kal. It's my way of coping. I just care about him so much." Lyle felt his chest expand. He had spent so much time just being quiet about his personal life that it seemed odd to talk so openly to someone he had only met once before. But as he looked at poor unconscious Condo, he didn't care anymore.

"It's fine," Kal said. "I think I have it." He took his hands off Condo's head and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. Wiping his fingers, he turned to Lyle and Babbage. "The bad guy activated Condo's metagene, giving him the power to speed up or slow down chemical reactions. The bad guy also engineered a transfer of chemistry knowledge into his mind to let him use his power effectively. He wasn't able to transfer experience though. Because of the potential danger of said power, and his lack of experience, he was sedated more than the others were. That's why he can't wake up yet." Kal calmly placed his handkerchief back into his pocket. "I think it should wear off by itself in a few days."

"What? I don't want to wait that long!" Lyle involuntarily clutched Condo closer to his chest.

"Unlaaaaaaaaaax," Kal drawled. "I can give you the formula, if you want.I saw that too." He quickly recited a half dozen chemicals. Lyle's heart jumped into his threat. He knew how to counter it!

"Your power is amazing!" Lyle almost shrieked. He quickly set Condo down and began pulling equipment out of the laboratory cabinets.

"Thanks. Nobody's ever said that before," Kal said matter-of-factly. Lyle didn't hear; he was busy mixing the chemicals he needed to counteract the formula Kal had recited. After a few minutes, he had a small vial of clear liquid. He mentally retraced his steps, satisfying himself that he had done everything right. He wasn't about to make a rushed mistake again.

He quickly pulled out a syringe and filled it. Hands steady despite the sweat pooling on his forehead, he prepared Condo's arm, marveling at the firmness. He's been working out, Lyle thought. In one swift movement, he pumped his concoction into Condo.

He pulled out and laid the syringe down and waited. After a few seconds, Condo's eyes fluttered open. "What... where am I?"

Lyle's voice caught in his throat. "Condo, baby?"

Condo's eyes widened at the sound of Lyle's voice. He reached out and touched Lyle's cheek. "Lyle, baby? Are you really here? Am I dead?"

"No, baby," Lyle could barely talk as he began to sniffle. "We're both alive. We're both here." He began to sob as he held Condo's hand.

"Lyle..." Condo pushed himself into a sitting position. "Shut up and kiss me." He pulled Lyle tightly into his arms and the two kissed like they never had before. After what seemed like an eternity, they stopped. "I always hoped I would see you again." Condo's lip trembled as he hugged Lyle. "Oh my grife, I'm so glad I'm not dreaming."

Before Lyle could answer, he heard a cough. "Sneaky Legion!" He and Condo looked in unison to see a panting Shikari carrying an unconscious Chuck Taine in her arms. "I do not wish to interrupt your reunion, but I barely managed to make my way here through the war raging on outside. So if you would please help me save the life of Chuck Taine?" She quickly placed Chuck on the table. Turning, she surveyed the room; recovering Legionnaires and allies were strewn everywhere. "What happened here? Is everyone well?" Then she stopped. Her armored skin retracted as she flew to the far corner of the room. Kneeling down, she picked up Wildfire's empty containment suit. She looked up and locked eyes with Lyle. "No. Please tell me it is not so."

Lyle stared back at her, open-mouthed. "I'm sorry, Kari." As Shikari slumped to the floor, he closed his eyes. "I don't know how I can help him, but let's see what I can do for Chuck." He turned to his friend, all the while feeling dizzy. In the space of a few minutes, he had gone from feeling fear, to overwhelming joy, to a mixture of shame and sadness. After all this was over, he just wanted to collapse into bed.

************************************************************

IB's notes:

1) The bald Uncanny Amazer first appeared in LSH v4 82. His name and powers were not revealed. There was a minor running joke where Star Boy could never remember his name. People always called him "the bald kid". I've seen a number of fan theories, such as right here on Legion World, speculating as to his identity and powers. I decided to give him a name, powers and personality. The psychometry by touching people's heads idea hit me when I needed to find a way to make Lyle and Condo's reunion more dramatic. Harbinger's input gave me the idea to combine the psychometry with phrenology, to better describe how he uses his powers (the touching the head thing) and to tie it into fan theory. Kal Bodo is a play on the Filipino/Tagalog language word for bald, which is Kalbo.

Credits also to Omni, whom I consulted when deciding whether to give Condo the chemical reaction powers!

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on Legion World...

Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; advanced telekinesis and animation of objects
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electrical generation and manipulation. Formerly had the power of transmutation.

************************************************************

Density jumped as the Monitor burst into the chambers. She had been guarding Live Wire for what seemed like an eternity, and had began to think that she would be forced to sit out the entire battle. She turned to face the Monitor. "Master! I brought Live Wire directly here, as you asked!"

"And why is he not sedated and placed in a tube?" The Monitor's voice was cold as he set the still-unconscious Kinetix down. Density found herself sweating as she answered. "I... I asked Brainstorm to bring the necessary equipment here," she replied. "He has not shown up."

"Then perhaps you should have asked somebody else." The Monitor's tone was low and threatening. Density began to stammer an apology. She never finished; bolts of electricity arced through the air and into her body.

"She really has a lot to be sorry for," Live Wire announced as he stood up and focused his attack on the Monitor. The Monitor grunted; after all the damage he had taken, he felt that. But it still wasn't enough to stop him. He blasted Live Wire into the wall. "Incompetent fools," he muttered as he placed power-dampening cuffs on first Kinetix, then Live Wire. They were inelegant, but they would do the job.

"Daoyou, come to me," he called. Scant seconds later, a green-haired Kwai entered. "You called me, Master?" he murmured, carefully not glancing at the unconscious Density.

"Yes. You will take me to the remains of the Progenitor."

Daoyou hissed, unable to control himself. The Progenitor and his Progeny had killed hundreds of Kwai and exterminated many species, all while branding them variant. "What... what would Master want with the hated Progenitor, my lord?"

"I will take his power for my own," the Monitor smiled. "I have here the Legionnaire who used to posses that power, as well as the Legionnaire who had absorbed Hypertaxis energy. Consider yourself lucky, Daoyou. You will witness my rise to true godhood."

Daoyou licked his lips. "I am honored, Master."

"Then come." The Monitor pressed a button, and a Threshold opened in front of him. He flicked a few more switches. "There. After we go through, the entire Threshold network will be disabled. This should delay the Legionnaires enough for us to succeed." He laughed to himself. He would enjoy returning to dominate all of them. The experiments he could conduct...

He kept smiling as he followed Daoyou into the Threshold.

He failed to notice the blue-and-white blur that followed him inside.

************************************************************

IB's notes:

1) Daoyou is the Mandarin word for "guide". I needed a Kwai to take the Monitor where he wanted to go, but since the other villainous Kwai, Herros, was already imprisoned, I created a new character.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on Legion World...

Andromeda, Laurel Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation
Nightwind, Berta Skye Harris of Earth; wind and air manipulation

**************************************************************

"Well, Andromeda?" Kid Quantum II asked as she took a short pause from surveying the battlefield. She was in the tiny room they had assigned her on the Dreadnought Terra. "Any sign of our missing Legionnaires?"

Andromeda shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Wherever they are, they're not on Legion World anymore. And neither is the Monitor."

"The Kwai can't track him either. And we haven't had any luck restarting the Threshold network. Babbage is working on it now, but it might take a while." Nightwind reported in from her makeshift command center on Legion World; the battle there had stabilized enough that she could take a short break from it as well. "On the plus side, the Legionnaires and freed hostages are generally okay... Except for Wildfire and Chuck..." She trailed off.

"Grife..." Jazmin started pacing. "Who knows what mischief the Monitor could be up to? And he's got at least two of our teammates with him. That we know off, anyway."

"Things are chaotic," Andromeda said carefully. "Perhaps the others unaccounted for are simply..."

"Where, Laurel?" Jazmin cut in. "Your vision powers show they aren't on Legion World."

"... You're right."

"I apologize," Jazmin continued. "But please, can you find Dreamer? Her flight ring is registering but she's probably in the thick of battle somewhere. Maybe her precognition can tell us something."

Andromeda nodded and left. Jazmin turned to Berta. "How are things going there? Do you need any support?"

"We should be fine, Jaz. Brainiac 5, Gear and Triad are all on standby, and Shikari has already gone to fetch them. Gear will help Babbage try to restart the Thresholds, will Brainiac 5 will support Invisible Kid, Impulse and Dirk Morgna." Berta paused as she brushed her hair back. "Grife. I've never been so... so... how do you handle it?"

Jazmin fixed her eyes on Berta's, and forced herself to smile. "It never gets easier, if that's what you mean," she explained. "I remember when I saw Monstress die... then Element Lad. And then Live Wire sacrificed himself, but he came back. And I thought I watched Kinetix blow up, but now she's back. So let's not mourn the others until we're sure, okay?"

Berta nodded. "Grife, I feel so helpless. Somehow I can't help but blame myself..."

"Comes with the territory, girl," Jazmin said firmly. "At some level we ARE responsible. We're the team leads, and we made the team assignments. But then, that's the nature of the job and everyone knew the risks. Wildfire and Chuck both willingly chose to sacrifice themselves. Everyone agreed to their team assignments. And heck, we knew the risks when we assigned the teams. The war's not yet over, so let's not go feeling sorry for ourselves. So many others need us."

Berta exhaled sharply. "You're right, as usual. And XS and Dreamer convinced us they knew what they were doing when we changed the team assignments..." She looked at the ice wall that was protecting her team and the civilians on Legion World from the Monitor's forces. "I'm confident we can hold the fort here until your group wins the war in space."

Jazmin looked at the other viewscreens; she smiled as she saw Thunder and Ultra Boy punch a hole in one ship, while a repowered Magno worked with Cosmic Boy and Magnetic Kid to dismantle another. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Soon, the whole team will be in one place again."

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on Legion World...

**************************************************************

Impulse, Kent Shakespeare of Earth; enhanced speed, strength, durability and recuperative abilities, medical doctor
Invisible Kid, Lyle Norg of Earth; invisibility
Triad, Luornu Durgo of Cargg; triplication; skilled administrator
White Witch, Mysa of Zarrox; sorcery

Chuck Taine of Earth (Honorary Legionnaire). Skilled architect and mechanic, pilot of the bouncing ship called the Bouncing Boy
Condo Arlik of Phlon; controls chemical reactions
Dr. Gym'll of Jaquaa, Legion physician

**************************************************************
"How is he?" Triad blurted out as she watched Invisible Kid and Impulse examine Chuck. She had arrived just seconds ago; she, Gear, Brainiac 5 and Shikari had slipped through the battling forces above Legion World onto the artificial planetoid. She felt no guilt at leaving the battle; there was more than enough firepower up there for their side to win. She needed to be here, now, watching over Chuck.

Impulse calmly held his Omnicom as he looked at Triad. "The explosion coated his body with a mixture of rubber and metal alloy. It's being absorbed into his system through his skin. It's poisonous to him; we have to arrest the absorption rate."

"I've cast a spell to temporarily put him in stasis," White Witch added. "It's good that Shikari brought him here right away."

"Bah! I'll say it again, dangerous enough that you Legionnaires go into battle with your powers," Dr. Gym'll groused. "Even worse to have a non-powered support staff member attacking two villains head-on!"

"Why you...!" Triad triplicated despite herself, and Purple stomped over to loom at the doctor. "You ingrate! Chuck did a very brave thing, and he..."

"Enough, sister! This is not helping!" Neutral chided.

"I'm afraid it's not," Impulse said gently. "I understand you must be extremely worried, Triad, but please." Before Purple could retort, Impulse turned to Dr. Gym'll. "Doctor, please. We can assign blame later. For now, let's just save Chuck."

Invisible Kid, who had been poring over the diagnostics on Chuck with Condo, spoke up. "We have two options. Either we draw out the alloy from his cells - a feat which I don't think anyone but Progenitor Element Lad could have achieved - or we can arrest the spread of the alloy by confining it to Chuck's subcutaneous fat cells. Chuck's cells contain an enzyme that will effectively trap the alloy there so it won't poison the rest of his organs."

"And what effect will that have on his body?" Dr. Gym'll snapped. "This seems like an unacceptable risk!"

"The alloy is non-magnetic, so the Braalians can't help... Mysa, can you draw the poison out of his body?" Impulse asked.

"I tried," she said sadly. "I could control the flow, but not enough to to extract it completely. I can research a spell, but that will take time... I do not know if we can keep him in stasis long enough for that to succeed."

"What are the chances that the alloy in his fat cells will have an adverse effect on him?" Kent asked Lyle. Lyle tapped his finger on his chin. "Frankly, I do not know. It's far from a perfect solution. I am pretty sure that storing the alloy in his fat cells won't prevent us from eventually completely removing it from his system."

"You don't mind if we review your findings?" Kent asked. "Be my guest," Lyle said. Condo squeezed Lyle's shoulders in support as Kent and Dr. Gym'll pored over the data. "I'm sure your brilliant solution will work," Condo whispered. Lyle smiled at him appreciatively.

"It does look sound," Dr. Gym'll grudgingly conceded. "As a physician though, I can't recommend it without reservations. And I wouldn't feel comfortable without next of kin deciding."

"He's an orphan!" Orange protested. "There's nobody to decide!"

"Maybe... maybe you can decide," Kent said tentatively. All three Triads looked at him in shock. "Look, we know he had feelings for you," Kent continued, more boldly. "You were the Legionnaire he missed most while you were gone. He was always talking about how you used your three personalities to make the best decision. I believe you can."

The three Triads looked at one another; Purple punched one fist into the other palm, Orange wrung her hands together in anxiety, and Neutral had her hands on her hips.

"Well? We took a risk before when Neutral was beaten half to death, and look how it turned out," Purple said.**

"Some of the most brilliant minds on Legion World think this is a good idea, so why don't we trust them?" Orange added.

"We're agreed then," Neutral turned to face the others. "Do it."

"Okay then," Lyle breathed deeply as he turned on a scanner. The layers of Chuck's body appeared on the screen. "If Mysa can use her magic to make the alloy clump together, Condo can use his powers to speed up the process by which the fat cells' enzymes neutralize and trap the poison."

"Wait! Didn't your boyfriend just get his powers now?" Dr. Gym'll objected.

"He has the chemical knowledge," Lyle answered. "The bad guy saw to that. And while he isn't as practiced at using his power, well..."

"We will be guiding you and Mysa with our knowledge of Terran physiology," Kent finished.

"Let's begin, then," Dr. Gym'll said testily as he pulled on his gloves. "I swear, after all this is over I can't wait to get back to treating mutant sexual diseases on Rimbor!"

"Too much info, Doc," Condo muttered as he began to work. "Too much info."

************************************************************

Triad held her breath as the operating team stepped back from the table. The silvery alloy coating Chuck's skin had disappeared, absorbed by his fat cells. "Should't he be waking up then?" she demanded.

"Vital signs appear normal..." Kent noted as he checked the monitors. "And we were able to clear any trace of the alloy from his brain. He should be."

As if on command, Chuck's eyes began to flutter. "Oh griiiiiiiiife. Did Tenzil spike my drink again? I... OH!" He sat up with a panicked look. "The Bouncing Boy! Our mission! I'm going to hit the villains! Need to brace myself. I..."

What happened next made its way into the memoirs of Dr. Gym'll, who cited it as one of his favorite moments of all time. Chuck Taine's body inflated itself into a balloon, just like the pufferfishes of the New Japan colony. As everyone stared open-mouthed, Dr. Gym'll wrote, Chuck Taine rolled off the table and began bouncing around in his hospital gown just like a beach ball.

"Oh my gosh," Triad exclaimed. "Chuck, you're..."

"I have powers!" Chuck yelled, tears of joy streaming down his face. "Oh my grife, I have super powers!" He landed on the floor and exhaled, deflating himself. Then he inhaled again, inflating himself once more. "Oh my grife!!!" he yelled again as he bounced across the room. "I really have super powers!!!" The three Triads ran forward to hug him as he settled into a low dribble.

"Don't ever do that again!" Orange chided.

"Hey, he's kind of invulnerable now, sis," Purple laughed. "Can you imagine being flattened by a 250-pound man?"

"Oh Chuck, now you can try out for the Legion!" Neutral smiled as she hugged Chuck tightly.

"I'd say that's a roaring success, don't you think?" Condo smiled as he held Lyle's hand.

"I'll say," Lyle smiled back. "Now maybe we should leave Chuck to get dressed, huh?"

Everyone discreetly left the room as Chuck and the three Luornus held each other tightly.

************************************************************

IB's notes:

1) Triad Neutral was attacked by White Triangle racists in LSH v4 67. Brainiac 5 was able to come up with a risky, though eventually successful, way to serve her in Legionnaires 24.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on Legion World...

Brainiac 5, Querl Dox of Colu; 12th level intelligence and force field powers
Shikari Lonestar of the Kwai; pathfinding, armored skin and claws allowing for flight and survival in space

Dirk Morgna of Earth; pyrokinesis
Rene Jacques (RJ) Brande (homeworld unconfirmed); Legion Founder/Financier and United Planets Ambassador to the Second Galaxy
Lori Morning of 20th Century Earth; adoptive daughter of RJ Brande

*************************************************************

Even with the battle raging on outside, RJ Brande couldn't help but smile. After spending who knows how many days floating in a tube, he suddenly wakes up to find all the missing Legionnaires have come home! Including his own adoptive daughter, Triad!

"Oh, RJ!" Luornu gushed over the Omnicom channel they were using to speak. "I missed you so, and I'm really glad you're well!" A beaming Chuck Taine waved from behind her.

"We'll catch up soon, I promise, my girl," RJ smiled back. "For now, you go on out and help the others."

"My first battle with super powers!" Chuck said excitedly as he bounced up and down.

"Hope you get Wildfire back too, RJ," Triad added. They waved once more before winking out.

"By damn, ordinarily I would be afraid for Wildfire, but now that we have you back, Brainiac 5, I believe we can accomplish anything."

"Your confidence and optimism, Mr. Brande, is extreme as usual... and quite refreshing," Brainiac 5 replied with the hint of a smile. "I shall endeavor to ensure it is not misplaced."

"Is he really going to be okay, Mr. Brande?" For all her bluster and brashness, sometimes RJ forgot how young she really was.

"Call me RJ, Lori. And yes, I believe he will be."

"Great..." Lori murmured as she watched Brainiac 5. To herself, she muttered, "I wonder if Brainy can figure out how the bad guy gave the others powers... Maybe he can do the same for me?"

Shikari stepped forward and laid Wildfire's empty suit gently on a table. "Just tell me what to do, Smart Legion."

"Just watch over Wildfire's suit, Shikari." Brainiac 5's Omnicom glowed, and holographic schematics of the blueprints shared by the other universes' Brainiac 5s rotated. "This other-universal technology is surprisingly similar to our own. Together with my alternate-reality counterparts, we were able to ascertain a possible solution to Wildfire's predicament." The schematics enlarged and rotated. "However, we were unable to test this theory due to a lack of time and the differing physical conditions of the universe we were in... And this is where Dirk Morgna can help."

Dirk looked up from the computer readouts he was studying. "This technology... we can combine it with what we've learned studying the sample of himself that Wildfire donated so long ago. We were able to find a way to have his anti-energy supplement itself with other energy sources. But our dilemma then was whether doing so would eventually erase his memory or identity."

"Dirk's research is keyed exactly to Wildfire's energy signature, which means we no longer need to test the process," Brainiac 5 continued. "And the technology we retrieved answers how Wildfire can regenerate himself while still being him. Although Wildfire's energy form is vast, his consciousness is actually isolated in a small segment of it. He just didn't realize it because he can control all of his atoms individually. Of course, his overexertion against the Monitor has spread his consciousness around..."

"... but we can teach him to isolate it in a certain portion of his form," Dirk finished. "This is amazing!"

"Indeed. Now, let us begin. Dirk, if you would kindly place the sample of Wildfire's energy form that you have back into his suit?"

Dirk took a small black box from his pocket. It had been carefully constructed using materials similar to Wildfire's suit, but carefully modified in consultation with Dr. Mollie Dennum - the materials scientist who had helped design Wildfire's original suit. Dirk carefully placed the box inside Wildfire's empty visor, releasing the energy from the box into the suit.

"Perfectly done. And now..." Brainiac 5 flicked a switch. Machinery attached to the empty suit began to hum. "First, we need to collect Wildfire's scattered atoms. Like attracts like, and with a large enough concentration..."

Shikari, RJ and Lori gasped as the air around them began to shimmer. Orange and red spots seemed to appear wherever they looked; and the spots began to grow larger and larger. "Ohh... It's beautiful," Lori breathed. "Just like fireflies."

"These fireflies are our friend," Brainy smiled. "And he is going to come home."

"Magnifying the signal slowly..." Dirk carefully adjusted the controls. The spots began to glow and move faster and faster; the bit of energy inside Wildfire's suit did the same. Soon, like iron to a magnet, the spots of energy began to move inside the suit, inflating it like a balloon.

"Sensors indicate all of Wildfire's energy is now concentrated here!" Dirk exclaimed.

"Then why is nothing happening?" Shikari asked as she peered closer. "He is just lying there."

"He'll need a little bit more help," Brainiac 5 noted. "A battery that is drained must be given a recharge. And with Dirk's research, we can. Close your eyes, this will get bright..." Brainy flicked a few switches, and the lights in the laboratory suddenly dimmed.

"What did you do, Brainiac 5?" RJ asked as Lori clung to him in surprise.

"I just diverted almost all energy to Wildfire's suit," came the reply. "Just wait..."

Suddenly, the suit began to glow brighter and brighter. Then it began to twitch. Everyone except Brainy gasped as it began to jump on the table it was on; the rattling increased in sound and intensity, not unlike an earthquake.

"Brainy, stop! This is getting scary!" Lori whimpered.

"Sssh, it will be okay," RJ whispered.

"Yes, please let it be okay..." Shikari added.

Suddenly, the lights went back on and Wildfire's suit sat bolt upright. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! What the sprock just happened?!"

"Wildfire!" Shikari leaped forward, pulled Wildfire off the table and hugged him. "You're back! You're back!"

"Kari, what have I done to deserve this?" Wildfire quipped.

"Do... do you remember everything?" Dirk asked tentatively.

"Yeah... I remember pouring everything I had at that squajing Monitor, then feeling myself... fading? I think that's the right term. I felt so cold, but my thoughts weren't ordered, couldn't think even, just a sensation... not unlike when I was lost in the Second Galaxy..."*** He suddenly raised his helmet as though startled. "Grife! What happened to everyone in the lab? Are they okay?" He looked around wildly, and noticed Dirk. "Hey! You were one of the captives! That means...?"

"You did it, Wildfire," Shikari said quietly. "You helped save all the captives. And our friends."

"The Monitor did abscond with Kinetix," Brainiac 5 added drily. "And perhaps a few others. But you helped drive him away. And once the Thresholds are restarted, we should be able to find him again."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Wildfire let out a blast of anti-energy. "Let's go find him!"

"I think not," Brainy continued. "Not for you, anyway. You just reformed, and you need to understand your limits. Which are... well, much higher than your previous ones."

Wildfire cocked his helmet to the side. "Wait. Do you mean..."

"Yes," Dirk smiled the widest he ever had. "You can now replenish your energy by absorbing outside sources. The modifications to your suit will convert any absorbed energy into the same form that you have, to make it compatible with the rest of you. You'll have to do it consciously, and you will have to make sure you only absorb as much as can be handled by your suit. And we'll have to teach you how to maintain your consciousness and identity, or you will risk losing your sense of self if you expend too much energy..."

Wildfire stood up and held his arms out. "But this means I'm not going to die any time soon! You hear that, Kari!?!" He turned and hugged her. "I'm not going to die!"

RJ Brande put one hand each on the shoulders of Brainiac 5 and Dirk Morgna. "I'm proud of you, both of you. You did great."

"All in a day's work, Mr. Brande," Brainy grinned. "But the day isn't over yet." He turned to Dirk. "We could use your help with the Thresholds."

"It will be an honor, Brainiac 5," Dirk smiled as they left the lab. Behind them, Wildfire and Shikari were still hugging in delight.

***********************************************************

IB's notes:

1) Wildfire was sucked into the rift in LSH v4 125. He ended up in the Second Galaxy, stranded and unformed, for a long period of time (as revealed in Legion Lost 3).

2) In Legionnaires 69, it was revealed that the Legion and RJ Brande were planning to eventually get legal custody of Lori Morning, who was still a minor. Unfortunately, Leland McCauley and Amilia Crugg beat them to it so that Lori could join the Workforce with her H-Dial. The H-Dial has since been destroyed, and McCauley and Crugg are both dead. I made it so RJ adopted her like he did Triad.

Credits to Omni for reminding me that I had a post mentioning some technology from the other Brainiac 5s that could help cure Wildfire!

:applauseapplauseapplause: *

You're a great storyteller, man! I really wish this was in comic form. Hire an artist and take my money already!

Your usage of Legion history is incredible. I'm thoroughly enjoying this. Keep it up, please.

* - I thought we had an hand clap/applause smiley but I couldn't find it!

Some more awesome moments! I liked Wildfire's last stand, and again you had me thinking he was really gone! It is great to see him and Chuck back and repowered, along with Dirk, Dragonmage & Condo! Kinetix did really well for herself and I'm glad Garth got to put up a fight before he was taken too...I've got a feeling if the Monitor gets the Progenitor's power they're gonna have the fight of their life waiting for them!

I also thought Retro being from planet Retcon is a cute idea

That's one of the best compliments I've ever received, ken, thank you! I would love to see this in comic form one day, even if just for myself. Or at least a big poster with all my Legionnaires on it Maybe after this Volume is done (which will be soon) I'll get around to it.

Really glad you're enjoying it Thanks again for reading and commenting!

thank you raz! As a fellow writer, I'm really happy that you found the developments believable and not totally predictable

Also glad you liked the returns of all these characters, and the moments for Zoe and Garth - who will have more next post!

The next post is, I hope, going to be a blast. I'm having a blast writing it.

And glad you liked planet Retcon I'll have to think of something to do with it one day!

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home...

The Ruins of the Rosette, former Throne World of the Progenitor

Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; advanced telekinesis and animation of objects
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electrical generation and manipulation. Formerly had the power of transmutation.

************************************************************

"Uhnn..." As Live Wire regained consciousness, he almost wished he hadn't. His head felt like it was being crushed by a lightning beast, and his limbs were sore; he could feel bonds digging into his wrists and ankles. He also felt cold metal pressed against his neck; he was tied to something mechanical. He struggled feebly, then stopped himself from moving; playing possum had allowed him to get the drop on the bad guy earlier, it might do so again.

He let his head hang limply, but allowed his eyes to look around. Kinetix was to his right; he could just see her frilly skirt, tattered and torn. Her gloved hand twitched ever so slightly.

He decided against calling out to her first. Best to gather more information. He looked over to the left; all he could see was the familiar landscape of the place he had "died"* fighting the monster Element Lad had become. It should have been eerily beautiful; large clusters of energized crystals threw off bolts of lightning into the darkness of space. But the beauty was marred by the remnants of the Progenitor's throne world that littered the ground.

"Ground" was actually being generous. This spot was really a large chunk of debris on which the crystals had settled. Garth resisted the urge to bite his lip as he remembered - Element Lad, now the mad god known as the Progenitor, was facing the Omniphagos, an implacable creature that consumed everything it came across. As the Omniphagos consumed Jan, Jan transmuted it into crystal; they combined to form a horrible monster that his wildest nightmares could not have produced. And that monster was going to consume the escaping Legionnaires and all life in the galaxy.

So he had made a choice; resign from the Legion and jump headlong into the mouth of the beast, using the crystals to amplify his electrical abilities in order to give the creature a terminal stroke.

Because he was inside the monster when he killed it, the electrical backlash had stunned him into oblivion. And the next thing he knew, he was in the crystalline form of Element Lad, with both his electrical powers and Jan's transmutation abilities. Thankfully, things had gone uphill from there. The Legion had ruled that his killing of the Omniphagos-Progenitor was the only available alternative to the death of other sentient beings; and he had gotten his normal body back through the science of the other universe's Legion. But he could never forget what had scared him the most; his possession of Jan's powers and the fear that he might one day turn into the Progenitor, just like Jan had.** That's why, when the other-universe Brainiac 5 had told him to transmute himself into whatever he wished, he had wished himself without the transmutation powers.

Garth shook his head. He was spending too much time reminiscing, when he should be looking for a way out. He tentatively tried to generate an electrical charge. Nothing; the manacles were working. Beside him, Zoe groaned again.

"Ah, awake, I see." Garth froze. From the bottom of his field of vision, he could see the Monitor's feet approaching. "Good. We won't have to wait much longer." Garth's mind raced as he tried to think of something to do. He couldn't begin to understand these manacles; he had already tried reaching out for a telepath, but nobody seemed to be in range. The Monitor seemed to have thought of everything.

Suddenly, a gloved hand reached for his chin. Garth resisted the urge to gasp. He would not give the Monitor this satisfaction.

"I know you're awake, Garth Ranzz." The Monitor tilted his chin up.

Garth returned the Monitor's gaze. "What do you want with us? If you want the Progenitor, he's dead."

"Uhh..." Beside Garth, Zoe was coming to. "Garth? Garth, I can't use my powers..."

"Your powers are still there," The Monitor said with satisfaction. "At least, the powers that I need are. Your electrical powers and telekinesis, respectively, are fairly impressive, but what I really need are your transmutation and Hypertaxis abilities."

"That's crazy!" Garth blurted out. "We no longer have them!"

"Yeah, if we did we would have used them against you on Legion World," Zoe added. She already sounded strong. "You're a bit too late for that."

The Monitor laughed, a deep throaty laugh. "Oh, I can very much restore those powers of yours. After the great Crisis which destroyed this reality - our reality - I escaped to another. And I spent my time studying ways to restore it. I was not successful, but apparently you were**, my dear Zoe Saugin."

"So... what? It was a one-time deal. I can't do anything of that scale again," Zoe said.

"Even so, your unique Terrorform genome**** was much more powerful than any of the other Terrorforms," The Monitor answered. "And Garth Ranzz's ability to transmute, while not as developed as the Progenitor's was, was still potentially as powerful. And while I was researching, I was able to find a way to map the genetics of individuals enough to trigger potential abilities, or restore old ones. Like I did to some of those I captured on Legion World."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that was how Dirk Morgna and Dragonmage got their powers back," Kinetix noted. "So are you saying you plan on turning us back into what we used to be?"

"In a word... Yes. And with nobody to disturb us, I will be able to complete the process I began on your friends. I can subsume your wills to mine. You will be my slaves!" The Monitor laughed. "With your powers combined with my power and my science, we will be able to place this entire reality under my rule and protection!" He checked their bonds one last time. "And please, don't tell me I won't get away with this." The Monitor stepped back and smiled; a smile which chilled Garth to the bones. "I have already started the process."

Suddenly, a tingling sensation filled Garth's body. He resisted the urge to scream, but as the intensity ramped up, he could not. Beside him, Zoe screamed as well. A bright white aura began to envelope their struggling bodies as the sensation heightened.

The Monitor stood back and watched, smiling.

Behind him, Daoyou looked around. "Master, there is something..."

"Hush, Daoyou," The Monitor admonished. "Not now. I am enjoying this."

"But Master..."

"I said, be quiet!"

The Monitor's command was met with a loud thump.

The Monitor looked around to see Daoyou falling to the ground. "What in...?"

His question was drowned out by a sonic boom and the loud snarls of a magical dragon.

"XS! Dragonmage!" Garth hissed through gritted teeth as an emerald green dragon form coiled around the Monitor while a blue-and-white blur battered him on all sides.

"And me, Garth! Are you okay?" Saturn Girl's telepathic voice filled their heads.

Before Garth could answer, he felt his bonds loosen. Beside him, Kinetix was also recovering on the ground. "Oh, Imra!" Garth hugged his fiancee. "How did you free us?"

"I did." A growing purple blur signaled the entrance of Violet. "XS gathered the four of us, and I began working on your bonds as soon as we arrived. I'm just sorry it took so long," she added as she helped Kinetix up. "Are you okay?"

"We will be, once we figure out how to turn this aura off," Kinetix said through gritted teeth. "I don't get it. We're not attached to the machine anymore, but we're still changing!"

Garth looked at Zoe; her skin was becoming brownish-orange and her eyes were beginning to turn purely green. He looked down at his own hands and gasped; they were becoming pale and were beginning to reflect the light. "Grife, not again!"

A loud zap erupted across the Rosette as The Monitor blasted Dragonmage back. He slammed both fists into the ground, sending debris flying and forcing XS to alter her trajectory. "Of course, you foolish urchins! I have planned for every eventuality! You don't need to be hooked up to my machine to complete your regression!"

"Then we'll destroy it!" Kinetix turned around, hands glowing green. She began to extend her telekinetic field to the machine. Garth saw it now for the first time; a gigantic yellow monstrosity not unlike a tuning fork. He started generating an electrical charge. "On three, Zoe. One big blast!"

"Wait! Stop!" XS ran in front of them, hands wide open. "Trust me, you have to keep the machine going!"

"What? Why?" Imra spat. She faced the opposite direction, trying to enter the Monitor's mind, even as a gigantic Violet smashed rocks into the Monitor. "You brought us here to free them!"

"Just trust me, Imra," Jenni pleaded. "Remember, I knew he was coming here because of the visions the Time Trapper planted in my head long, long ago*****. And I know we need to keep the machine going!"

"I don't know, Jenni..." Violet said as she shrank to avoid a blast from the Monitor. A recovered Dragonmage sent another dragonform at him, allowing Violet to grow again. She lifted a large slab of metal and threw it at the villain. "I trust you, but how sure are you that those visions aren't false?"

"Wait..." Zoe said as she began to stagger under the pain. "Jenni's visions helped restore me, which helped us restored our own universe. If she says we should..."

"Arghh!" The Monitor screamed as Imra made contact with his mind. "Feel pain, Monitor!" she hissed. She turned to Garth and held his hand even as he began to buckle under the pain. "Garth..." Her eyes filled with tears as she watched. "What will you do?"

Garth clutched Imra's hand with all his might as he sank to his knees. He closed his eyes and remembered the guilt he felt at not taking advantage of the other Brainiac 5's science to restore Sensor, Ferro and Wildfire to their original forms. He looked at Zoe, who nodded. He nodded back. "If XS says we should, then good enough for me."

"Garth..." Imra squeezed his hand. "I'm proud of you."

"Look out!" Dragonmage called as he skidded to a halt in front of the Legionnaires, a bright red dragon surrounding him. Seconds later, a powerful blast of energy battered the mystic's shield.

"BAH! You cannot possibly use my own machine against me!" The Monitor roared. He threw another blast, which caused Dragonmage's shield to falter. "You cannot stand against me!"

"Imra, quickly. Link our minds," Jenni said. "All of ours, even his. We need to pull the knowledge he stole on Hypertaxis and evolution."

"Done," Imra said.

"Okay then..." Imra could feel Jenni's mind literally moving at superspeed as she sifted through all the data the Monitor had telepathically stolen from Ra's al Ghul. "Zoe, Garth, focus your powers on that tall crystal spire over there."

They complied; a rainbow of Hypertaxis energy and the tell-tale purple signature of transmutation surrounded the crystal. "Focus on the memory I'm sending you," Jenni continued.

Garth's eyes widened as he took in the mental images. "Jenni... are you serious?"

"Yes." Jenni replied, lips tight. Both Zoe and Imra gasped as they realized what Jenni was asking them to do.

"Uh, guys? A little help here?" Violet called. She had grown to giant height again, using a long, thin sheet of metal to swat at the Monitor. The Monitor caught the sheet with one hand, pulling it out of Violet's grip. He threw it back at her; she shrank out of the way just in time. The break in the attack allowed Dragonmage to switch to the offensive; he sent a dozen tiny dragonforms at the Monitor. They clamped on to different parts of his body, sending jolts of energy through his body. He screamed in pain and anger, and began advancing at the Legionnaires.

"No, we need a little more time!" Jenni breathed.

Violet grew to giant size again and brought two fists down on The Monitor. He reached up and blasted upwards; Violet screamed in pain as energy seared her hands. The Monitor then launched himself forward, right at Dragonmage's shield. He pounded on it with both fists, causing it to buckle.

"Please, hurry!" Xao Jin gasped as he felt his shield buckle. "It's taking all of my power to hold this up..."

"Just a little more!" Imra said, feeling light-headed. "We're almost there..."

Garth stood silent, focusing his abilities on the crystal. Jan had been able to make this seem easy because, as the Progenitor, he had lived for eons. He was working on instinct here. Beside him, Zoe groaned. Her skin had turned completely brown and she had grown several inches; she now looked almost like she had as a Terrorform. "Don't stop, Garth! Don't stop!"

Dragonmage shouted in fear. "I can't hold this... NO!!" His shield splintered into a thousand pieces, and the Legionnaires were thrown back as a wave of energy washed over them. The Monitor's eyes glowed as he stepped over the trembling forms of Dragonmage and Saturn Girl. He leaned down and picked XS up by the collar.

"You. You have proven to be quite dangerous," he sneered. "I can dissect your form just as easily when you are dead, you miserable urchin."

XS stared back at him, willing herself not to show fear. "Good always wins, Monitor. Even if you kill me, my friends can stop you."

The Monitor drew his hand back. "They will not. And you will not even live to see them lose pitifully."

XS closed her eyes. Please, she thought. Even if I die here, please let them have succeeded. Please. She felt his hand close around her neck.

Before The Monitor could finish, the ground shook as the crystal spire cracked open. A beam of purple and orange flashed from the crystal at The Monitor's wrists. The Monitor screamed as a liquid coated his bare skin, causing it to burn; he dropped XS in his pain.

She scrambled around to stare at the place where the spire had been, heart beating in hope. A shadowy figure emerged from it, hands outstretched.

And then, it spoke. Tears of joy ran down XS' cheeks as she heard a familiar voice she thought she would never hear again.

"Leave my friends alone, you nasty, nasty man!"


************************************************************

IB's notes:

1) It's a bit too long to summarize, so check out Legion Lost (first series) 1-12 for the full story of how Element Lad became the Progenitor, a mad god who sent his Progeny to destroy any creatures he deemed variant.

2) Live Wire returned in a body that looked like Element Lad's in The Legion 25. His normal body was restored in Legion of 3 Worlds; I established in Volume 2 that he was able to restore his other arm as well, and that he had given up the transmutation powers.

3) Volume 2 of this fic tells how Kinetix, XS, Gates and the Retroboot Legion restored the Postboot Legion's universe.

4) Kinetix was transformed into a Terrorform (a forced transformation that happens during a mass extinction event; the Terrorforms are meant to safeguard other individuals within a species so the species can continue after the event) in The Legion 6. Her unique physiology, which was altered by magic (Legionnaires 42/LSH v4 Annual 6), turned her into a unique kind of Terrorform with seemingly more intelligence than the rest.

5) When XS was lost in time, she encountered the Time Trapper. The Trapper said she still had an ultimate role to play. She has been fulfilling this role slowly throughout my fic, but there's more to come... I had it that the Trapper implanted some visions in her mind which have helped guide her actions ever since Legion of 3 Worlds.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on and above Legion World...


"I thought you were part of the Robotican Diplomatic Corps, JRH-85." Shvaughn Erin noted. "But you are proving to be a capable military field leader." She marveled at the efficiency with which her ally was leading the Robotican assault on Legion World. Already, they had disabled three ships and were 24.87 minutes away from entering the upper levels.

"Yes. We Roboticans may alter our programming to the task at hand. It is far easier for us to share knowledge than even the Coluans with their Sleepnet. If I were not doing a capable job, it would mean I were defective or that I needed an upgrade," the emissary explained.

"Oh," Shvaughn replied. She tried to think of what to say next, then wisely decided on silence.

************************************************************

"Take that, you squaj! Konk! scores!" The Uncanny Amazer with the detachable floating head roared with delight as she headbutted yet another opponent into submission.

"You seem to be enjoying this quite a lot," Zaron Lux said with some distaste. The Coluan Cadet was helping Babbage and Gear run a full diagnostics on the dormant Threshold system, in the hopes of reactivating it. Around them, Nightwind organized the Legionnaires, Cadets, Uncanny Amazers and other freed super-powered sentients in defeating the remnants of The Monitor's army stationed on Legion World.

"I hate being cooped up," Konk! replied as her head flew past the Cadet called Flying Fox. "Hey!" Flying Fox called as it hopped onto the head of another soldier. "I just beat another one, Konk! I'm leading you 8 to 5!"

"Hah! That sounds like a competition I could get into!" Jed Rikane, code named Density, laughed. The large, purple-skinned Cadet jumped from a balcony as he increased his density. His boyfriend Gravity further added to his impact by focusing his power on Jed; the resulting crash could be heard three decks away as the two together flattened an entire battalion of soldiers.

"Y-y-you know, Jed," Chlorophyll Kid stammered as he commanded Randorian poison ivy to grow and ensnare another half dozen soldiers. "I al-w-w-ways meant to ask. You do know that your code name is the same as the Legion reject-turned-villain Density, right?"

"Yeah," Jed said sheepishly as he stood up and brushed himself off. "But I couldn't quite think of another code name."

"Mass just seemed so pitiful," Gravity added as he landed beside his boyfriend.

"I think a hero - and a Legionnaire - is measured by more than just his code name." Night Girl had her back against the wall; the Tyrrazian called Rarb lunged at her. She grabbed his wrist and flipped him around and into the wall. "Like how you learn and compensate for your weaknesses," she smiled. She was proud at the progress she had made in her unarmed combat training, and felt confident she could hold her own even without her darkness-induced strength.

Yera Liggle, in the form of an Earthquake Beast, used her tail to throw more soldiers into the wall. "Lydda, that is true. But as a former actress, and more so as a Durlan, I have to point out that perception is very important in our job. Chameleon used to tell us about the mistrust and fear he faced when the Legion started, remember?"

"Keep your head in the game, Cadets!" Nightwind barked as she used her powers to create a tornado that began sucking up hapless soldiers. "We have civilians to protect!"

M'Onel landed beside her, holding the unconscious forms of Nadir and Bronto. "You have to admit, though... they are holding their own."

************************************************************

IB's notes:

Lots of non-Legionnaires here! Here's a list of those mentioned:

1) Konk!, unknown of Xanthu (Uncanny Amazer); detachable floating head, if she fails to reattach her head to her body, a new one with a different personality grows

2) Zarox Lux of Colu (Legion Cadet); 10th level intelligence. My original character.

3) Flying Fox of H'lven (Legion Cadet); levitation and other abilities. Flying Fox is Floating Foxlike Creature Boy, who appeared in a couple of DNA-era issues. Credits to Reboot for the Flying Fox code name, which he used in 21st Century Legion. In a bizarre fit of inspiration I wanted to make him from H'lven, home of 21st century Green Lanterns Ch'p and B'dg; razsolo also used H'lven recently in his own fic.

4) Density, Jed RIkane of Earth (Legion Cadet); controls his body's density; increasing his density grants a degree of strength and durability. This is Power Boy, and I gave him the code name Density to match his boyfriend's.

5) Gravity, Tel Vole of Earth (Legion Cadet); gravity manipulation. This is Gravity Kid, whose code name I shortened to Gravity.

6) Chlorophyll Kid, Ral Benem of Mardru (Legion Cadet); plant manipulation

7) Night Girl, Lydda Jath of Kathoon (Legion Cadet); super-strength in darkness

8) Yera Liggle of Durla (Legion Cadet); shapeshifting. This is Yera aka Chameleon Girl, and I just gave her a surname.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on and above Legion World...

"We're getting creamed out here! What's the boss doing? Why isn't he giving orders?" Razorsoul was in near panic. The reptilian was running around frantically like a headless babootch. Emerita would have rolled her eyes if she hadn't been trying to hail someone on the comms. "I don't know," she snapped. "But panicking isn't going to solve anything!"

"Then what's going to solve that?!" Razorsoul screamed as the hull of their ship began to peel away. Emerita gasped as Cosmic Boy hovered above, bits of metal circling around him. Insect Queen and Particon were behind him. Air began to escape into space, and Emerita felt her own body being pulled into the vacuum.

"No! No! I'm not going back to jail!" Razorsoul screamed as he inflated the spikes on his body. They tore through his transuit, and he began gasping for air.

"You idiot!" Insect Queen shifted into a Xanthusian Orb Spider and began encasing Razorsoul in a cocoon. Particon used her energy powers to seal the opening Cosmic Boy had made.

"Are you in charge here?" Cosmic Boy asked Emerita. She reached for her blaster; before she could, Particon blasted it away.

"Yes, I am in charge," Emerita said defiantly.

Cosmic Boy knelt down so he could look her in the eye. "Besides the three of us, there are over two dozen other Legionnaires; just as many Legion Cadets, Uncanny Amazers and other super-powered allies; half the UP fleet and Science Police squadrons in the Solar System; and a contingent of Khunds AND Roboticans. We are very close to retaking Legion World. And your army is leaderless now. If I were you, I would surrender."

Emerita bared her teeth, then sighed. He was right. There was no way they could win.

"Well, we had a good run," she said as she raised her hands in surrender. "But all good things must come to an end..."

Insect Queen set a cocooned Razorsoul down; the webbing was tight enough to muzzle him. She put her arm around Particon's shoulders, who smiled. "For some of us, the good times are just beginning."

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home... The Ruins of the Rosette, former Throne World of the Progenitor

Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; advanced telekinesis and animation of objects
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electrical generation and manipulation. Formerly had the power of transmutation
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy
Violet, Salu Digby of Imsk; size manipulation of own body
XS, Jenni Ognats of Aarok; super-speed

Dragonmage, Xao Jin of New Shanghai; sorcery

and reintroducing...

Monstress, Candi "Princess" Pyponte-LeParc III; formerly possessed great strength and invulnerability, she was thought killed by the Progenitor (formerly Element Lad) in Legion Lost 11. Now, apparently gained some form of Element Lad's transmutation abilities...

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A thick cloud of mist seemed to surround the figure striding forward from the crystalline masses littering the Rosette, obscuring her body. But XS could never forget that voice. She ran forward, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"Monstress! Oh my grife, it worked!" She hugged the advancing figure, then stopped. Where once she would have held thick muscle and felt a body warmth as great as the warmth of Monstress' personality, now she felt cold, inorganic crystal.

"Oh, Jenni, dear, dear Jenni!" Monstress said as Jenni felt cold, hard arms on her back. "You helped bring me back?"

"We all did," XS laughed as she swept her arm to indicate her teammates. Monstress released XS from her hug and stopped in shock as she Garth. She strode up to him.

"Jan! Jan, is that you? If you're here, does this mean your're not the Progenitor anymore? What you did to me..."

"Oh, Candi..." Garth said as he gently touched her hand. "It's me, Garth."

"Oh..." Candi paused for a moment, and Jenni used the
opportunity to take her in. She looked like her old form - large, broad, muscular, with her pronounced brow and long hair... except for one thing. She was in a crystalline body, just like Garth's Element Lad-lookalike form. Candi's chest heaved for a bit. Then she broke out in a warm smile and scooped Garth, and Imra beside him, in a big hug.

"I'm so glad you made it home!" she cooed. "And that means I can go home too! Tell me, did everyone else make it?"

"I almost didn't," Garth laughed. "Then I turned into this, and, well, it's a long story..."

"And what about you, Candi?" Imra brushed her hair back. "We thought Jan - the Progenitor - killed you. I was there when he touched you and... and..."

"I don't know, Imra," Candi looked down. "I remember feeling a burst of pain, and then it was like my consciousness was floating. But I couldn't really perceive anything. I just knew Jan did something. And then a little bit of time ago - I guess when you showed up - I could feel my... self... solidifying. And I looked down and saw myself in a crystalline body. Then I saw that nasty man attacking Jenni, and that's it."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Violet said as she staggered over with Kinetix. "But we haven't actually put the bad guy down yet!" She pointed to where Dragonmage was trying to contain the injured Monitor in one of his dragonforms. "Maybe you can update Candi telepathically, Imra?" As Imra complied, she turned to hug Candi. "And it's so great to see you!"

"It is." Zoe hugged Candi as well. "That's an interesting new look," she added.

"No more so than yours, dear," Candi noted as she looked Zoe up and down. The regression to terrorform was almost complete.

"Not my best look, I know," Zoe shrugged. "But we'll have time for compliments later. Let's go!" She turned to launch herself at The Monitor, tackling him even as he broke through Dragonmage's spell. Her momentum carried them both through the rugged terrain of the Rosette ruins, shattering crystal spires everywhere.

The Monitor snarled as he tried to stand, but Zoe pressed her attack by blasting him with raw energy. As he fell back down, she began to punch. "I hate being in this form, but it gives me enough power to stand toe-to-toe with you!"

"My sentiments exactly!" Live Wire flew up beside Kinetix; he looked like Element Lad's twin now. "And now, to coat your exposed limbs with aluminum and copper, which you might know are superconductors. And with my other power..." Garth unleashed bolts of electricity on the Monitor's coated limbs, sending him into spasms.

"You miserable urchins!" The Monitor raged as he blindly fired beams of energy at the Legionnaires.

�Watch your language, you rude man!� Candi focused on The Monitor�s head, encasing it in inertron.

�Hey Candi, I have an idea.� Garth stepped forward and began transmuting. �I�m creating Baylium��

�Oh, I see,� Candi smiled as she began to transmute as well. �And when you add Transformium to the mix��

A series of explosions rocked The Monitor's body. The Legionnaires shielded their faces as he screamed in pain.

"Please tell me that got him..." Dragonmage breathed as he staggered upright.

"Do you honestly think that such an attack would be enough to stop me?!" The Monitor strode forward out of the dust, eyes glowing. As the Legionnaires charged at him, he pulled out a control and pressed a button. Kinetix and Live Wire fell out of the air as their bodies glowed; Saturn Girl and Violet knelt beside them in concern.

"What's happening?" Zoe winced in pain as she looked at her hands. "I'm transforming..."

"Back to your less-powerful selves," The Monitor gloated. "As for you..." He turned his attention to the charging XS, Violet, Saturn Girl and Dragonmage and loosed a powerful wave of energy at them. Dragonmage conjured up a shield just in time, but even then it pushed them back.

"Let me help!" Monstress added an inertron wall behind Dragonmage's shield.

"Thanks, Monstress," the sorcerer said.

"Well, you've changed, dear. I like it!" Candi smiled warmly. "Okay, we've got our defenses up..."

"And I'll soften him up." Saturn Girl's powerful mind reached into The Monitor's; the sudden intrusion stunned him momentarily. XS took advantage of the lull to batter him at super-speed; heartbeats later, a gigantic Violet dropped a ton of debris on him. Before the Monitor could recover, Dragonmage conjured up a fanged red dragon that scratched at The Monitor while Monstress coated him with sulfur.

"Nnnh... his will is strong..." Imra said. "Dragonmage, can you cast a spell to teleport us away?"

"Yes, yes, I think I can..." Xao Jin broke off his attack and began to mutter an incantation. Violet reached down to gather a gasping Kinetix and a shaking Live Wire; both had completely reverted to their normal forms, but they were also too weak to stand.

"Please, hurry!" Imra had tears in her eyes from the effort. "His mind is... is... Oh!" Imra was thrown backwards from the force of The Monitor's resistance.

"Imra!" Garth yelled as he watched her fall. XS caught her just in time and laid her gently on the ground. "I'm going to buy us some time!" Jenni called as she raced back to The Monitor. Before she could land her first punch, The Monitor released a cascade of energy in all directions. "Ahhh!" Jenni screamed as she fell to the ground, clutching her fist.

"Stop it, you big bully!" Candi pointed at The Monitor threateningly while Dragonmage began to chant faster and faster. Before either of them could continue, The Monitor placed both hands on the ground and let loose another strong burst of energy; the floor shook and caused Monstress, Dragonmage and Violet to topple. Moving with alarming speed, The Monitor grabbed Xao and Salu by the necks and slammed their heads together. Kinetix and Live Wire pointed shaking arms at him, sending a telekinetic blast and a bolt of lightning; they were still too weak, though. The attacks fizzled harmlessly as they hit The Monitor's armor. With a cruel grin, he blasted them back. Monstress cried out as she watched her friends slump to the ground. All six of them were unconscious.

"You monster!" she cried. She transmuted the air above The Monitor into a lump of iron, lead and titanium, and conjured up shields over her friends as she watched it drop on him. "This won't hold me, foolish girl!" He blasted the block as it fell, sending bits of metal raining in all directions.

"Yes, but it gives me enough time to destroy your horrible machine!" Before The Monitor could stop her, Monstress had transmuted several sections of the tuning fork's supports into oxygen. She watched with satisfaction as it toppled into the ground. For good measure, she began transmuting large sections of it into gases as well. "We may not be able to stop you," she said, "but at least we can stop your plan... OH!"

"How dare you?!" The Monitor grabbed her by the throat and slammed her down. Though she no longer needed to breathe, Monstress still felt the overwhelming force constricting her neck. She frantically tried to grip The Monitor's face and press into his eyes, but The Monitor blasted her fingers with his eyebeams. "You silly fool. Even if you destroy my machine, I can always build another!"

"But not before we stop you!" Out of the corner of her eye, Candi saw something that made her smile. "And I think we will, soon!"

"Very soon, indeed!" A glowing blue triangle materialized in the air just a few feet from where Candi lay; and out popped the familiar face of Shikari. Only a second later, dozens of familiar faces emerged, and so did dozens she didn't quite know. Kid Quantum II and Cosmic Boy led the charge, and Candi smiled with delight as what seemed like every single Legionnaire flew through the portal - including some she never expected to see again. Magno, Thunder, Dreamer... and Chuck and Tenzil? "Oh my grife," Candi breathed. "It's like everyone is here!"

"Hit him hard and fast, Legionnaires and company!" Jazmin pointed. "M'Onel, Andromeda..."

"Way ahead of you, Kid Q." In seconds, the two Daxamites had gathered the unconscious Legionnaires and brought them with the others. As Candi felt herself being carried into the air, she heard a gasp. "Monstress?!" M'Onel's face was a mix of surprise and joy as he looked at her.

"In the flesh... well not quite, dear," she said as he set her down and hugged her. "It's so, so wonderful to see you all!"

"I so want to hug you now, Candi," Jazmin smiled. "But first... Everyone, pour it on!"

And they did. Monstress smile widened even more as she saw all of them attack en masse. M'Onel and Andromeda's heat vision; Ultra Boy's flash vision; Spark's electricity; Cosmic Boy's, Magnetic Kid's - and to her delight, Magno's - magnetism; Wildfire's anti-energy; Particon's energy blasts; Kid Quantum's stasis bubbles; Star Boy's gravity powers; Brainiac 5's forcefield; Umbra's darkfield; Insect Queen's poisonous darts; Atmos' nuclear blasts; Mysa's sorcery; Vapor's gaseous form; and to her surprise, Dirk Morgna's fire powers. There were more whom she didn't know who joined in; a yellow-skinned girl with wind powers, a boy in a tasteful purple outfit lined with faux fur with ice powers, a fire-breathing boy, a green-skinned girl with water powers, and dozens more. Even a recovering Kinetix, Live Wire, Saturn Girl and Dragonmage joined the attack. Monstress lent her own power to the mix, transmuting the air around The Monitor into volatile compounds that ignited as they came into contact with the others' attacks.

"You can transmute?!" A stunned Chuck Taine said as he bounced beside Monstress.

"And you can bounce, dear!" she smiled as she watched him do so with a big grin on his face.

"Can the chatter, team!" Jazmin called as she pressed her attack. "There will be time for a reunion later!"

"That's it, Condo," Invisible Kid said from beside her. "Use your powers to slow his metabolism down even more."

"Let me add to our impact," a girl with slanted eyes said as she stepped forward. "Somehow, this villain expanded my abilities. Now I can amplify everyone's powers!" A soft glow appeared around her hands and settled on the assembled heroes. Several murmurs of approval could be heard as the attacks' intensity increased visibly.**

"No! No! I will not let you win!" The Monitor crouched down to the ground, hands glowing.

"He's going to blow!" Wildfire called.

"Shields up, everyone!" The yellow-skinned girl commanded. Mysa, Dragonmage, Kinetix, Particon, Brainiac 5, Kid Quantum, Umbra and others used their powers to create a wall blocking the group from harm. Even with all their powers, the wall shuddered and the ground shook; several of them stumbled while most took to the air to keep upright.

"What's going on out there?" Jazmin asked. "Can anyone see?"

"I see him... he's running towards the Threshold!" Ultra Boy called.

"I'll get him!" XS said. She dashed off, with M'Onel, Andromeda and Thunder following on her heels. Before they could reach The Monitor, he loosed another blast which drove them back momentarily. "You may have stopped my plans now, but you will never cage me!" he called. "Know this, Legionnaires... You have been more resourceful than I imagined... but I shall return. And you will not stop me next time."

"Oh, be quiet!" Gates snapped as he teleported beside The Monitor with Ultra Boy and Ferro in tow. The two tried to grab the villain, but he blasted them backwards.

"I'll blank the Threshold out from his senses!" Sensor yelled.

The Monitor laughed. "I may not be able to sense it, but I know it is here." He sped towards the Threshold.

A recovered XS ran up behind him, but before she could reach him he had jumped into the glowing doorway.

"Grife! He must be insane!" Ultra Boy stammered as he stood up. "He doesn't have a Kwai with him!"

"I will try to find him," Shikari said determinedly. She jumped into the Threshold, with Wildfire, M'Onel and Andromeda following closely. The assembled Legionnaires waited with bated breath. "Grife, more of us should have gone," Cosmic Boy said. "They're powerful, but even they can't stop The Monitor alone."

"It won't matter," Shikari said dejectedly as she exited The Threshold. "I don't understand it. There was no trace of his path when I entered."

"Don't beat yourself up, Kari," Wildfire said encouragingly. "Even if we had caught him, I don't know how we would have held him."

"So... does this mean it's over?" An exhausted Violet said as she sat on a rock.

"It is, Violet," Jazmin smiled as she took in the sight around her. Everyone, almost literally everyone, was gathered in one place. It was a sight to behold. "For now, anyway."

"Come on," added the yellow-skinned girl as she stood beside Jazmin. "Let's go home."

"I can't wait to see what you've all done with the place," Candi gushed as she placed an arm around Jazmin.

"Oh, you'll be very surprised," Thom smiled cheekily as he came up beside her. "It's worlds apart from the old HQ."

Groans erupted among the crowd as everyone began to file to the Threshold. "Your awful jokes are one thing that haven't changed," Ultra Boy elbowed Thom in the ribs playfully. As Star Boy's face took on a dejected look, Dreamer laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry, Thom. You still make me laugh."

Candi laughed as she followed the crowd back. As she was about to step through, she turned back to look one last time. "I just wish Jan - the real Jan, not the monster he became - had been here," she murmured to herself. She took one last, long glance at the ruins of the place where Jan, as the Progenitor, had dissolved her body into a cloud of dust. He hadn't quite killed her, but he had... evolved her. But did that make his actions any better? She closed her eyes as she considered. What she was sure of, though, was that it wasn't poor, sweet Jan who had done that to her.

Jan had died long before that, and he probably wasn't coming back.

She sighed as she followed the others. There would be plenty of time to think later. Right now, she just wanted to go home.

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IB's notes:

1) Monstress "died" in Legion Lost 11. She has never walked through a Threshold, seen Legion World, or met anyone introduced after Legion Lost - hence her lack of familiarity with the new Legionnaires and Cadets.

2) The girl with slanted eyes is Legion Cadet Amp Girl, Ming Sul of unknown. Her power is enhanced senses and reflexes. I boosted it to amplify others' abilities. Credits to razsolo, who also have her these abilities in his own story.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on and above Legion World...

"I don't understand why I couldn't locate The Monitor," Shikari fumed as she retracted her armored skin. "I've tried again and again, and so have several of my path-kin, but still nothing."

"Do not be upset, Shikari," Brainiac 5 droned as he studied the results of the attempts. "The Monitor had access to advanced technology. I wouldn't be surprised if he had something that could have masked his trail even from your pathfinding senses."

"Don't worry, Kari," Wildfire placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Your pathfinding worked when we needed it to - if you hadn't been there, both Chuck and I wouldn't be here now! And we'll be ready for the bad guy if he comes back."

"Or when," Brainiac 5 mused as he watched Shikari hug Wildfire. "We will definitely have to prepare..."

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"Are you sure, Condo?" Lyle's voice was thick with skepticism as he showed his boyfriend around the Hall of Heroes of the other Legion's headquarters. Brainiac 5 had said that the barriers between their universes would remain thin enough for travel for the next month or so, and that the barriers would go through irregular cycles that would allow them to visit one another. Lyle had volunteered to deliver an update to this Legion, and had taken the opportunity to show Condo around. This reality's Tinya, who had been quite close friends with Lyle's counterpart, had been so happy seeing Lyle and Condo together; something she said her own friends had never gotten around to doing, though everyone else could see their attraction. "In this other universe, both you and I are dead. I mean..."

"Hey, you yourself explained all the differences between realities," Condo pointed out. "Our Leviathan is dead, while their Ferro is, and their Triad lost a body to COMPUTO when ours didn't, and so many others."

"But..."

"No," Condo said firmly. "You know how much I suffered while you were away? I am not going through that again. I can still be a journalist part-time. I am staying as close to you as I possibly can, and that is that."

"Mmm," Lyle smiled. "Spoken with conviction. I think you're going to pass the vote with flying colors."

Condo turned to look at the statues of their deceased counterparts. "If I do, I think I'll pick a costume similar to this. I like the v-neck..."

"You look good in v-necks..." Lyle said as he moved closer to Condo, pressing his chin to Condo's neck. Lyle took a deep breathe; even without cologne, he loved smelling Condo's scent. "Now, let's make up for lost time..."

Condo smiled as he wagged a finger at Lyle. "Now, now, you can turn invisible but I can't. Let's wait until we go somewhere more private..."

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"You really do like redheads," Spark laughed as she watched Particon and Insect Queen from across her.

"Yes, I do," Particon blushed as she closed her hand around Insect Queen's. The pretty redhead smiled. "And I like your eyes when they're not hiding behind a visor," she returned.

"I think we'll leave you two alone then," Chameleon said with a grin as he and Ayla stood up.

"Yeah, time to check on my other favorite couple," Ayla replied.

"No need, we were just looking for you." Garth and Imra approached, faces beaming with happiness. Before Ayla could say anything, Garth handed her an Omnicom. "What do you think?"

"Oh wow, it's finally happening?" Chameleon hugged the couple as Spark's jaw dropped in surprise as she read the Omnicom. "You are cordially invited to the wedding of Garth Ranzz and Imra Ardeen." She slowly lowered the Omnicom as she watched her brother and future sister-in-law. "Well, it's about time!" she snapped as she hugged them both.

The cafeteria around them broke into applause as Garth and Imra kissed.

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"Are you sure, Xao?" The White Witch looked at her pupil with concern. "For the longest time, all you could think about was regaining your powers and joining the Legion."

"I am sure, my lady..." Dragonmage said as he stared out the window into space. "Although I have served my prison sentence, I still cannot forget that my actions resulted in the destruction of Dryad, the desertification of Gil'd... and the losses of so many lives."***

"Xao..." Mysa said as she held his hand. "You must not continue to punish yourself so. Atone, but do not lose yourself in self-inflicted suffering."

"You are right, of course," Xao smiled as he squeezed her hand. "But I have to atone some more. It is not enough. But the Legion will have my assistance if they truly need me."

"I respect your decision," Mysa smiled back. "I am pleased at how much you have grown."

"Yes..." Xao said as he sat back in his chair and stared out into space. "Perhaps one day soon..."

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Monstress tapped a finger to her cheek as she mulled over the results of her exam. It felt odd... where before she would have struck soft flesh, now she only touched hard, rigid crystal. She sighed; maybe she shouldn't have been so quick to destroy The Monitor's machine. Besides her, Ferro, Sensor and even Wildfire could have used some regressing to old selves as well.

But then, she couldn't have known help was about to arrive, and Brainiac 5 had found specs on the machine anyway. He couldn't understand it yet, but there was always hope...

And she knew she was lucky to even be in this form. She had thanked XS and the others profusely for their role in her "resurrection"; Jenni' foreknowledge planted by the Time Trapper, Imra's telepathic pulling of The Monitor's knowledge, and the combination of Zoe's Hypertaxis energy and Garth's transmutation powers had been enough to allow her consciousness to take root in the crystal littering the Rosette ruins. As far as could be determined, she had all of Element Lad's old powers, though of course not quite as much knowledge. She could use them adeptly enough, but managing Progenitor-level feats like restoring an arm or creating a new organic body for herself were beyond her for the time being. It likely would be beyond her forever; Jan had only been able to manage those feats after eons of practice. She certainly did not want to live that long.

Still, she was grateful. She had spent the past couple of years living in a state of disembodied awareness... not quite consciousness, as she had barely been able to form a coherent thought. Just... awareness.

She was distracted from her thoughts by a knock on the door. "Come in," she called as she pressed the unlock button gently. She was glad she had had large fingers for a while; it made adjusting to her crystal form easier.

She was surprised at who stood on the other side. "Oh... Umbra."

"Hello, Monstress," Umbra said tentatively. "May I come in?"

"Of course..." Candi replied. "Please, sit down."

"I thank you." Tasmia took a seat and arranged her cape carefully. Candi resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. What happened to the haughty and arrogant Legionnaire who had caused quite a bit of drama during their time lost in the Kwai's galaxy?

"Monstress, I... I am quite pleased to see you return," Umbra started. "When we were together, and just before you... were transformed... I had said some very cruel things to you."

Candi sat tight-lipped as she recalled. In the heat of battle, Umbra had called her hideous. Ugly. Although she had been transformed by a gene bomb as a girl, from a normal Xanthusian to the hulking figure known as Monstress, she had moved on. Being with the Legion had allowed her to come to terms with her disfigurement. It had still hurt when Umbra called her a freak, though. But then, she had not been herself then; Umbra had been affected by psionic backwash which had increased her arrogance. She could excuse that.

Umbra breathed deeply, then continued. "I have felt guilty over that ever since. I have regretted not apologizing to you before you... before what happened to you. And so now..." Umbra stood up, then made a deep curtsy on the floor, cape spread out gracefully. "I humbly seek your forgiveness, Monstress."

"Umbra... Tasmia," Candi stood up and beamed. "Please, call me Candi. And of course, I forgive you. How could I not, when you say sorry in such a manner?"

Tasmia returned Candi's smile. "I am dining with Sensor tomorrow evening, where we shall discuss the state of government on our respective homeworlds. I would be pleased if you would join us."

"Oh, I loved the meals I shared with Sensor way back then," Candi clapped her hands in delight. "She serves the best teas. Yes, I would be happy to join you. I never paid much attention to government but I can share some of the best shopping streets and cafes on Xanthu!"

"That would be ideal," Tasmia laughed as she stood up. "I take my leave, then."

"See you tomorrow, Tasmia," Candi waved as Umbra exited. She really had changed through all this time.

She sat down again and began opening the Legion case files. So many of her friends had changed in all this time, and she needed to catch up with all of them. As she thumbed through Ferro's file, another ring interrupted her. "Oh dear, I really need to schedule some alone time..." she mused. "Come in, please."

The door opened to reveal Insect Queen, Kid Quantum II and Star Boy. All three were old teammates from the Uncanny Amazers, and she wasn't surprised to see them. But she was surprised to see who was behind them. She nearly dropped her Omnicom in surprise.

"Daddy?" Her heart pounded as she stared. She hadn't seen her father in years!

"Oh Candi... Princess..." Her father walked forward slowly, foot limping as he leaned heavily on his cane. "I missed you so."

"Daddy..." Candi felt a pang of emotion in her gut. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"And how I regretted that," her father said as he held her hand; Candi's fist easily wrapped around his, even with a cane in his hand. "I'm so, so sorry for never visiting you."

"I thought you hated me, Daddy," Candi started to sob though no tears came out. But she felt every bit of emotion clearly.

"I hated myself, Princess," he said as he kissed her cheek. "It was my fault that gene bomb went off. My fault. I thought you would never forgive me..."

"You're my Daddy, how could I hate you?" Candi gently closed her arms around him. "I'm just so glad you came to see me..."

"I should have done this long ago," he said softly as he hugged her back. "I hope... I hope you'll allow me to make it up to you?"

"Of course, Daddy," Candi said as she closed her eyes. She never even noticed her teammates had already closed her door to give them privacy. "Of course."

Daughter and father held each other tightly as they talked about how to make up for so many lost years.

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IB's notes:

1) Monstress' origin was revealed in Legion Lost 2. She was visiting a family factory with her wealthy father when a protesting worker ran up. Her father knocked the worker aside callously; as she ran to help the worker, his homemade gene bomb went off. That bomb transformed her from a normal Xanthusian into Monstress. Her father never had time for her after that. She thought it was because she reminded him of her failures. In my Monstress piece for Volume 1: Loss, I had it that her father was too ashamed to visit her.

2) Dragonmage, in his bid to regain his magical abilities, ignored a warning and released four imprisoned Elementals. The Elementals took on hosts and destroyed Dryad, removed all water from Gil'd, and caused great havoc on Earth and Swizzar. Of the four hosts, only Dirk Morgna survived. Dragonmage regained his powers, but lost them again stopping the Elementals. He turned himself in after that. Of course, he regained his magic because of the Monitor.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Back Home, on and above Legion World...

"I should step down, you know," Nightwind told Kid Quantum II as they watched the seats in the meeting room fill up. "You were still sitting Legion leader when the original team vanished."

"No, you will not," Jazmin said firmly. "Look, your one-year term is almost up anyway, and I've been leader way longer than that. Let's decide this fairly, with an election."

"Fair enough," Berta laughed as she watched Apparition and Ultra Boy walk in. Judging by their smiles, they had just visited Cub. "Looks like that's everyone."

"Then let's get down to business." Jazmin cleared her throat, and beamed in pride as dozens of faces looked at her. The full-fledged, Active Legionnaires sat closest, but many others whom they wanted to honor - Reservists, Honorary Legionnaires, Support Staff, Cadets and other allies - filled the seats farther away. Towards the back, several reporters stood, including the Legion's staunch ally Hannah Wells. Devlin O'Ryan stood beside her; he was also quite a big supporter. "Okay, gang, we just finished what has probably been our most epic battle to date. And I'm happy to say that we made it with pretty much flying colors."

Berta continued as she clicked on the viewscreen. It had been hooked up to the symbiotic life form attached to the back of the Legion Cadet named Theena; this life form could somehow create two-way communications links to any place in the galaxy. Babbage had devised a way to hook it to the Monitor room.

"We have given medical and psychological treatment to all the hostages; we were lucky to see that though they were in captivity, The Monitor was apparently truthful in that he did not want to harm anyone. The hostages not brought to the laboratories for examination were not harassed by the villains guarding them, though of course we do not discount the trauma they went through. All of them have been given a clean bill of health - physically and mentally."

"As for those kept in the tubes," Jazmin continued, "it seems The Monitors' experiments have only had positive effects. Not all of you were affected, but those who were have had their powers increased... or restored. We've also run a full diagnostic, and it seems he has not tampered with your minds in any way, like he said he planned to." Several former captives sighed in relief, and Dirk Morgna let out a small plume of flame in celebration.

"The villains are all incarcerated again," Berta added. "A few minor ones escaped, but the big guns such as the Fatal Five are all behind bars again. And because they interrupted the Legion Day celebration, the culmination of our Legion Month... We're rescheduling it one week from now," she beamed. Cheers erupted through the room. A good celebration was just what the doctor ordered... literally. Dr. Gym'll had been quite insistent that everyone needed some relaxation.

"And finally," Jazmin continued as the cheers died down. "I would like to thank and congratulate each one of you for stepping up during this dark time. I speak for all of us when I say that each Legionnaire, Cadet, Ally and Staff Member played his or her role perfectly. We could not have done this without you." More cheers followed, and Jazmin and Berta let the applause die down naturally before they continued.

"So, the Active Membership has had a vote, and there are many of you we would like to honor..."

Berta pressed a button, and the faces of several Legion Cadets and allies flashed on the screen. "For your contributions during the battle, we have voted to grant Reserve status to all of you!" More cheers followed, though a bit more muted; Jazmin and Berta knew that some of these had been looking forward to full Active status. Many others were beaming, though, including some with not-so-impressive powers. At least they had hopes of being called up for selected missions. Chlorophyll Kid and Night Girl gave each other a high five, and Hotshot - formerly known as Fire Lad and Vulcan - hugged Rainbow, who had dropped the girl from her code name. Zaron Lux nodded confidently, looking as though he had predicted the outcome. Yera Liggle smiled gratefully, while the Lallorian hero Vapor beamed with pride. Flying Fox's bushy tail wagged with delight, and Dragonwing and Lamprey both celebrated with small displays of their powers. Density and Gravity shared a kiss, while Amp, who had also dropped the Girl from her code name, clasped her hands in gratitude. Dragonmage also nodded; though Mysa had approached him offering to put his name forward as a candidate for Active status, he didn't want to put the Legion in a bad light just yet. Reserve status would do for the time being.

"Of course, being a Reservist brings you a step closer to becoming full Active Legionnaires," she continued. "And we will be organizing our tryouts one month from now." This time, the cheers were louder than they had been since the meeting started.

"But some of you were overwhelmingly voted into Active status," Jazmin added with a grin. "As I call your name, please stand up and be recognized." She saw the crowd hush as they looked around. Who could have made it?

"First, we wish to acknowledge one strong candidate who was invited to join the team full-time, but decided to remain on Reserve Status for now. He is a staunch ally and friend who has come through for the team time and again. Tenzil Kem!" The crowd roared as Tenzil stood up and made a mock bow. "Call me Matter-Eater Lad," he grinned. "Hey, my alternate universe self thought it was a good enough code name, so it's good enough for me! Still, I'm happier being the Legion's chef."

"Yeah, dealing with so many species' pickiness is a full-time job," Chuck Taine ribbed his friend to laughs from the crowd.

"Before we continue, I'm sad to say that three of our active members have decided to step down to Reservist status as well," Jazmin continued. "We are sad to see them go, but we respect their decisions, and are glad we can call upon them as needed. First, we have a solid Legionnaire who has shown great creativity in using his powers and a maturity beyond his age. We wish him well in his pursuit of his athletic career. Let us applaud Magnetic Kid!" A few gasps, mostly from female cadets but a few from some males, littered the crowd as Pol stood up and bowed. "I enjoyed my time as an Active member, but the recent events have made me realize that being a superhero is not my number one priority. I get enough excitement on the magnoball court," he smiled. A female cadet swooned as he did. "But I'll definitely still be around."

Cosmic Boy smiled sadly as he joined in the applause; he had really enjoyed working with Pol as a fellow Legionnaire, but they had spoken before this meeting. Pol had really wanted to find his own way... and though Pol hadn't said so, Rokk knew that he wanted to make a name for himself out of his - Rokk's - shadow.

As the cheers died down, Berta continued. "Next is someone who has wisdom beyond his years, but more than that, a truly compassionate heart. Of sound mind and body, and truly a doctor with a bedside manner, please give a warm hand to Impulse!" More gasps followed as Kent Shakespeare stood up and bowed. "I'm still committed to the ideals of the Legion, of course, but with so many powerful members returning and joining, I think I can best help in the clinic rather than on the front lines," he noted. "I'll still be on Legion World full-time, of course." The gasps were drowned out by applause; at least Kent would still be nearby.

"And finally, we have a member who returned to us in our hour of need and single-handedly ensured our success by saving us from the initial attack on Legion World. Of course, she has a life and career of her own elsewhere, but we are happy she has promised to lend some of her time to us. Thank you, Thunder!" Thunder smiled as the crowd cheered her on. Nobody really expected her to stay for good, now that the Rock of Eternity had been repaired she could go back to her own time in the future as Thunder, not just as the non-powered Cece Beck. Still, her wisdom and power had made her quite the popular Legionnaire.

"And now..." Jazmin continued as the crowd fell silent. "Our new Active Legionnaires! She has showed tremendous grace under pressure these past few days, and a wonderful command of her power. Mentalla!" The blonde telepath stood up, face beaming. Berta had never seen the serious, studious girl look so happy before.

"An experienced hero in her own right, she is always ready to learn more. But we believe she can teach us plenty, as well. Insect Queen!" The redhead from Xanthu stood up with a bow, and she blew a kiss at her former Uncanny Amazer teammates. Atmos, Konk! and Kal Bodo all nodded; they were sad to see her go, but she had promised to keep in touch. And who were they to complain? Star Boy, Monstress, Kid Quantum II and Particon had all come from the Amazers' ranks as well.

"This next one has probationary Active status pending graduation of Legion Basic training, but we fully expect him to pass with flying colors. Condo Arlik!" The brunette beamed as he stood up and waved. "As a Legionnaire, I'll also take on the role of press liaison, using my journalistic background. I've also chosen the code name Chemical Kid," he announced. "I think it pairs well with Invisible Kid," Berta winked at Jazmin, who smiled. She had never seen Lyle Norg so happy, either.

"Next is someone who has helped out on a couple of cases. Despite going through some rather rough transformations, he has always soldiered on. Despite having some heavy responsibilities at his business, he has decided to accept the challenge of being a Legionnaire full-time; like Condo, he is on probationary Active status pending graduation from Legion basic training. Welcome, Dirk Morgna!" Dirk smiled graciously as he stood up, though his smile slipped a bit as he pondered his dad's reaction. Derek Morgna was worried that Dirk wouldn't be able to help with the family business, and was even more worried about Dirk's safety. Still, he felt confident he could handle it. "I really enjoyed the thrill of going on a mission with the team before," he said. "At first I used to be afraid of gaining super powers, but I realize now how much good they can do. I'm happy to be part of a team where I can use my abilities to the fullest. Please, call me... Inferno." Several people applauded the name, though some former Workforce members frowned a bit; not at Dirk, but at the thought of former Workforce member Inferno, who had chosen to stay behind in the 20th century some time ago.

"Our next new member is someone who would definitely have earned Active status much earlier, if he had had powers then. And we're glad he has them now, because he is sure to be an amazing asset to the team. Welcome aboard, Chuck Taine!" The rotund architect bounced up and down as his name was called. "Please, call me Rebound," he laughed as he deflated into his normal form. Triad beamed up at him as he addressed the crowd. "I'm so, so tickled to be here," he added. "It's always been a pleasure working with the team, but now I really get to be in the field! I can't wait!" Everyone laughed at Chuck's exuberance, even those who remained Reservists. It was hard not to be happy for Chuck.

"And finally, we wish to welcome two former Active Legionnaires into the fold once more," Jazmin continued. "Although he lost his powers for a bit, he has always been a hero through and through. The Legion will be much better off with your passion and optimism, Magno." Magno stood up with a wide grin as he held XS' hand; Live Wire in particular clapped loudly as the crowd cheered. Tears welled up in Magno's eyes as he wore his old costume again for the first time in ages.

"And finally, we have a Legionnaire long thought dead. Imagine our surprise and joy to see that she had somehow survived, albeit in a different form. Everyone, please give a warm welcome once more to Candi Pyponte-LeParc III, better known as Monstress!" The cheers were overwhelming this time, as a good friend once thought dead had come back to them. Candi smiled warmly as she turned to the crowd. "Thank you, all! But please, don't call me Monstress anymore." She closed her eyes as she thought of what to say next. "Now that I have his powers... I want to honor the sweet, sweet man who worked so hard to save those of us lost with him. The being who did horrible things wasn't him, and I want to remember him as he used to be. So please... call me Element Lass." The cheers were even louder this time, especially from the Legionnaires who had been lost along with Candi and Jan Arrah. Jan had indeed saved them all, at great personal cost; after rescuing them, he had become lost in time and space. Spending all those eons alone turned him mad, and that was the only reason he became the Progenitor.

Cosmic Boy raised his hand as the cheers died down. "I know it's corny, but... I really think this would be a great time for a roll call." The smile on his face was infectious.

Jazmin and Berta looked at each other and laughed. "You read our minds, Cos," Jazmin clapped. "You know what to do, team!"

Legion of Super-Heroes Roll Call

Active Legionnaires

Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation. Current Legion co-leader.
Nightwind, Berta Skye Harris of Earth (Iceland) and Enwa; wind and air manipulation. Current Legion co-leader.

Andromeda, Laurel Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Apparition, Tinya Wazzo of Bgztl; intangibility
Babbage, I-45ENG/Nth Series of Robotica; combat mechanoid
Blizzard, Brek Bannin of Tharr; cold projection
Brainiac 5, Querl Dox of Colu; 12th level intelligence and force field powers
Chameleon, Reep Daggle of Durla; shapeshifting
Chemical Kid, Condo Arlik of Phlon; controls chemical reactions (probationary pending completion of Legion basic training)
Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Dreamer, Nura Nal of Naltor; precognition
Element Lass, Candi "Princess" Pyponte-LeParc III; transmutation
Ferro, Andrew Nolan of 20th century Earth (USA); previously could turn his body into durable iron, but now stuck in his iron form
Gates, Ti'julk Mr'asz of Vyrga; opens teleportation disks
Gear, I.Z.O.R. of Linsnar; bio-mechanical techno-morphing
Inferno, Dirk Morgna of Earth (USA and Russia); pyrokinesis (probationary pending completion of Legion basic training)
Insect Queen, Lonna Leing of Xanthu; morphs into various insect forms, gaining the powers of the forms she takes
Invisible Kid, Lyle Norg of Earth (Australia and Israel); invisibility
Karate Kid, Val Armorr of Omega Colony (Earth colony: Japan); skilled martial artist
Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; advanced telekinesis and animation of objects
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation.
Lume, of Silvan; energy being made of light
Magno, Dyrk Magz of Braal; magnetokinesis
Mentalla, Delya Castil of Titan; telepathic control of others' physical functions.
Microbe, Drura Sehpt of Somahtur; generate and control harmful and beneficial microorganisms
M'Onel, Lar Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Particon, Jennifer Sanchez of Earth (India and Philippines); "hard light" energy casting and manipulation, disruption of energy flow
Rebound, Chuck Taine of Earth (Canada); inflates into a durable bouncing form
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy
Sensor, Jeka Wynzorr of Orando; sensory manipulation
Shikari Lonestar of the Kwai; pathfinding, armored skin and claws allowing for flight and survival in space
Spark, Ayla Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation
Spider-Girl, Sussa Paka of Luna; prehensile hair
Star Boy, Thom Kallor of Xanthu; gravity manipulation
Timber Wolf, Brin Londo of Zuun; enhanced speed, strength, durability, senses and regenerative powers
Triad, Luornu Durgo of Cargg; triplication
Ultra Boy, Jo Nah of Rimbor; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers and flight, but can only use one power at a time
Umbra, Tasmia Mallor of Talok VIII; shadow casting
Violet, Salu Digby of Imsk; shrinks and grows own body
White Witch, Mysa of Zarrox; sorcery
Wildfire, Drake Burroughs (energy gestalt of two beings). Anti-energy being.
XS, Jenni Ognats of Aarok; super-speed

Reserve Legionnaires (Not Legion Cadets)

Dragonmage, Xao Jin of New Shanghai (Earth colony); sorcery
Impulse, Kent Shakespeare of Earth (United Kingdom: England); enhanced speed, strength, durability and recuperative abilities; medical doctor and Legion support staff member
Magnetic Kid, Pol Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Matter-Eater Lad, Tenzil Kem of Bismoll; consume and digest all forms of matter. Skilled chef and Legion support staff member.
Thunder, Cece Beck of 90th century Binderaan; SHAZAM-empowered human with enhanced strength, speed, durability, stamina, wisdom and flight powers

Uncanny Amazers

Atmos, Marak Russen of Xanthu; nuclear energy blasts, flight, enhanced strength and durability
Kal Bodo of Xanthu; phrenology and psychometry activated upon touching another's head
Konk!, of Xanthu; detachable floating head, if she fails to reattach her head to her body, a new one with a different personality grows
Radion, Roy Travich of Earth (Italy and Madagascar); flight and emission of radiation

Reserve Legionnaires (Concurrent Legion Cadets) - Partial List

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Arachno of Arachnidia; enhanced abilities of spiders
Beastmaster, Ilshu Nor of Lallor (Hero of Lallor seconded for training); transform into any animal
Brawler of Moxie; super-strength and durability, can mind-mesh with machinery to control it
Calorie Queen, Taryn Loy of Bismoll; consume and digest all forms of matter, conversion of digested matter into super-strength
Cannus of Anthropologia; skilled tracker, canine senses and abilities
Catspaw, April Dumaka of Earth (Tanzania); enhanced agility, speed and claws
Chlorophyll Kid, Ral Benem of Mardru; plant manipulation
Comet Queen, Grava of Quaal III; super-speed flight and emission of comet-like gases
Crystal Kid, Bobb Kohan of Earth (Brazil); crystal generation and manipulation
Density, Jed Rikane of Earth (Mongolia and Nepal); controls his body's density; increasing his density grants a degree of strength and durability
Dragonwing, Marya Pai of Earth (Singapore and Tibet); breathes fire and secretes acid venom
Echo, Troy Stewart of Earth (South Africa); sound manipulation
Flying Fox of H'lven; levitation and other abilities
Gravity, Tel Vole of Earth (Cambodia and Thailand); gravity manipulation
Hotshot, Staq Mavlen of Shwar; breathes fire
Lamprey, Tayla Skott of Earth (Maldives and Palau); underwater survival; hydrokinesis
Mandalla, Tari Wahlmunn of Takron-Galtos; projects a thought-sphere that affects the target's mental and physical functions
Night Girl, Lydda Jath of Kathoon; super-strength in darkness
Porcupine Pete, Peter Dursin of Earth (Jamaica); ejects quills from his body
Rainbow, Dori Aandraison of Xolnar; rainbow-based light powers
Retro, Deen Toro of Retcon; touch-triggered ability to rewind time, but leaving those affected with a memory of "future" events
Sizzle, Teela Spuunvil of Abaddonus; absorbs and redirects energy
Spectrum, Ulu Vakk of Lupra; changes the color of people and objects
Splitter, Floyd Belkin of Lallor; ability to detach his limbs from his torso
Stone Boy, Dag Wentim of Zwen; turns self into stone
Tellus, Ganglios of Hykraius; telepathy and telekinesis
Theena of unknown; attached to a symbiotic alien able to open "viewscreens" allowing communication across distances
Tomb, unpronounceable of Sarccus; controls others' bodily functions
Vapor, Tal Nahii of Lallor (Hero of Lallor seconded for training); transforms her body into gases
Veilmist of Khundia; teleportation
Vision, Rhent Ustin of Earth (Egypt); microscopic, telescopic, heat, freeze, and hypnotic vision
Yera Liggle of Durla; shapeshifting
Zarox Lux of Colu; 10th level intelligence

Honorary Legionnaires and Legion Support Staff

Cub Wazzo-Nah of Bgztl and Rimbor; son of Apparition and Ultra Boy, confirmed phasing abilities
Devlin O'Ryan of Xanthu; report and Legion deputy media liaison
Dr. Gym'll of Jaquaa; Legion physician
Dr. Ryk'rr of Jaquaa; Legion psychiatrist
Dr. Mollie Dennum of Hephaestus; materials scientist
Gigi Cusimano of Mars; Science police lieutenant and commander of the Science Police contingent on Legion World
Hannah Wells of Earth (France and Mali); reporter and Legion media liaison
Lori Morning of 20th century Earth (USA); RJ Brande's adopted daughter
Marla Latham of Earth (Germany and Sweden); Legion adult advisor
Proty of Vyrga; shapeshifting and limited telepathy
Rene Jacques Brande of unknown; Legion Founder/Financier and United Planets Ambassador to the Second Galaxy
Rond Vidar of Earth (Iran); skilled scientist specializing in time studies
Shvaughn Erin of Earth (Ireland); Science police captain and Legion Liaison Officer
Winema Wazzo of Bgztl; United Planets President





(Kal Bodo) (Konk!)

(Dragonwing) (Flying Fox) (Gravity) (Yera) (Zaron Lux)